TRAGEDY OF THE HEART
by TheSilentPartner
Summary: We know Gibbs and Jenny Shepard got together in Paris, but this will explain why as Gibbs tries to help this young agent work through a tough situation. Along the way, they encounter, love, romance, broken hearts and decisions that will effect them the rest of their lives. Rated M and please review if you enjoy the story!
1. Chapter 1

_**TRAGEDY OF THE HEART**_

Jenny sits quietly in the back of the crowded room listening to the good-natured jibes being tossed out. Their boss, Curtis Nelson just laughs and takes the playful insults in stride. After working with this group for years he knows them all well enough to accept their teasing. Especially since this is his last day and they all want to give him the traditional going away party.

Laughing along with the group as one of the guys brings up an old story from when Nelson was a young rookie agent... another calls out a story of his first day in the Paris Office. Jenny thinks back over all the good times they had working together this past year. She had a boss she really enjoyed working for and now he was leaving. He had been a good agent and a good assistant director and she sighs as she wonders what their new boss will be like. She doubts Leroy Jethro Gibbs will be as understanding of her unusual techniques. She probably gave Curtis most of his gray hair, but she always got results even if she violated more than a few rules.

She draws herself out of her stupor as everyone begins filing past Nelson to say one last farewell before he packs up his office and heads to his new job in Washington, DC. She is too depressed to join in so she slips from the room and heads back to her desk. Once there she remembers the forms that needed his signature before he leaves. She takes them up to his office without knocking and is surprised to find he has already returned and is boxing up his personal belongings.

"You probably need a bigger box than when you moved in here, huh?"

"Yea, I seem to have collected a lot of stuff while I was here. I noticed you skipped out on the good-byes, Jenny. Is everything all right?"

"I just hate good-byes... and I did have a few last minute things for you to sign so I thought I better get them… if you don't mind."

He stares at her for a moment then casually pushes the door closed as he gestures toward a chair. "Have a seat, Jenny. There were a few things I wanted to talk to you about before I left."

"Last minute reprimands?"

"In a way." His words are tempered with a good natured chuckle. "I wanted to tell you what a pleasure it's been to work with you these past year."

"Because I gave you so much grief?"

"Maybe a little. When I came here I was burned out and bored, but after watching you and your team work with such enthusiasm I found myself wanting to run amok with you. As the director, I couldn't do that, but I hope you never lose that special talent for inciting people to follow you."

"I might have to lose it real fast come Monday morning. Agent Gibbs may not appreciate my enthusiasm as much as you."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Gibbs is a great agent and he's fair. He just likes to act tough... actually reminds me a lot of you. I was a rookie agent when we met... and he hadn't mastered his calm exterior. During an argument with another agent, things got a little heated and I stepped in. He just glared at me... but he never forgot about that. 'Bout ten years later he thanked me for stopping him from getting fired for punching the guy. Guy needed to be punched, but not then... not there. He told me after that day, he went out of his way to be more patient. He won't give you the answers, but he'll make sure you find 'em."

"Heard he can be a stickler for details."

"And I'm not?"

"Well, yes, but you don't worry about the small stuff as long as the results are within guidelines." Nelson raises a skeptical brow at her admission and she hurries to change the subject. "I just wish they hadn't decided to move you over to the Department of Defense. I'm gonna miss you, Curtis."

"I keep telling myself that everyone who gets sent there is being groomed for bigger and better things. Now, what do I need to sign?"

She hands him the papers and when he is done he grabs something from one box and turns to hold out a framed picture of the unit. In the photo everyone is cheering as Jenny holds up the award she won while Nelson is placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Here, I think this photo should stay with you."

"I can't! That's your photo."

"I have another copy of it at home in my scrap book. Go on, keep this one. It was one of the great memories of working with you."

"Thank you; it was a great day."

"Well, I guess I better get moving. I still have to help my wife pack for the move back to the States. And Jenny… " He stops with a large box in his arms.

"Yes?"

"Be nice to Gibbs, okay? Give him a chance like you got. He's new at being the director and only an interim director at that."

"I'll try, but I just hope he's as understanding as you are." Nelson just shakes his head and continues out the door.

* * *

Monday morning comes way too soon and Jenny finds herself a little nervous about her new boss. Gibbs was an unknown to her and she only knew him by his reputation. She'd heard about his legendary glare, his rules and that he kept his distance, even when working as a team. She knew he never discussed his personal life... or his past... and she wonders why. She also wonders what changes are in store for them all in this office. She drops her bag by her desk and is about to head for the coffee machine when she sees a note on her desk. _"Need to see you as soon as you get in. Gibbs." _

She sighs heavily and heads up to the office, so recently vacated by Nelson on Friday. She hesitates a moment outside his door to get her first glimpse of him. He was older than she thought... judging by the silver tinted hair at his temples... and handsome, in a rugged sort of way. She take a couple deep breaths and silently berates herself for even allowing that thought into her head. Just then he looks up and smiles at her, ushering her in. She takes a deep breath and tries to act normal as she steps inside.

"Good morning."

"Agent Shepard, come in." He was being polite, but that didn't mean anything. The man was an enigma when it came to reading his moods.

"I hope I'm not in trouble already. I'd hate to start off with a bad mark."

He smiles, but she notices it doesn't quite reach his eyes "No, Curtis had nothing but praise for you and the team."

"Well, I'm glad he was pleased with our work."

"I saw the photo on your desk. Early last year, right? He seemed pretty pleased."

Jenny hears a faint note of disapproval in his voice, but it isn't apparent on his face. She stifles the explanation that rose to her lips, deciding it would only make matters worse if she tried to deny there had been anything more than just an innocent kiss. She changes the subject instead.

"Do you always come to work this early?"

"Most of the time, but I have been known to sneak in just under the wire a time or two. Why?"

"I'm usually the first one in... before everyone arrives, that's all."

Gibbs is curious why she wants to be here before everyone else, but decides against asking her. It was something he would file away for later use. She sighs and tries to listen to his run down on their cases and what he expected from her. By the time she leaves there is a lump in the pit of her stomach. Her life was about to get complicated. She heads for the coffee machine in desperate need of a double latte' today.

Back in his office Gibbs sits wondering about how Curtis Nelson described Shepard to him. 'Conscientious and professional', but Gibbs hadn't seen how she operated... let alone ran a team. She was attractive... Gibbs had to admit that. No wonder Nelson had taken advantage of the moment to place a kiss on her cheek... or maybe there had been more to it. She hadn't jumped in to set him straight when he commented on it earlier. He knew some agents didn't believe in keeping their personal lives separate from the office and his stomach twists uncomfortably as sudden memories emerge. He quickly banishes them back to the dark vault of his mind and sighs as he goes back to reviewing the personnel files on his desk. He had never wanted this job, but until someone else got appointed as the assistant director of the NCIS Paris office, he was it... Interim Director.

* * *

Jenny is at her desk, trying to work when she is interrupted for the millionth time. This time it is Joe Stoddard, one of the senior field agents. She makes one last notation before giving him her undivided attention.

"Hi, Joe, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing. I just thought see how your first day was going with the new boss?"

"Fine. I saw him for about five minutes this morning and that was it."

"Is he gonna be as strict as everyone says?"

"It's a little hard to tell, Joe. I think we better give him some time and see how things go."

"I hear you, but I also see the look in your eyes. I just want you to know that if it comes up... I got your back, okay?"

Just then Joe sees Gibbs walking towards them with several papers in his hand. He watches as the large black man clears his throat nervously and remains silent at his question. "If what comes up?"

"Nothing, we're just catching up after the weekend." Gibbs gives her a long look and then turns his attention to the other man.

"Hello, Joe. How's Harriett these days?" Jenny is surprised that Gibbs seems to know Joe personally.

"She's good, Gibbs. We worked an Op together some years back." Joe sees her brow crease and explains. "Well, I better get back to it. I'll see you later, Jenny?"

"Sure, same time."

Joe leaves and Jenny turns her attention to her new boss who is looking at her a bit suspiciously. She correctly assumes that he misinterpreted Joe's last comment and tries to clarify it now. "We run together every other day."

"I see." There is an uncomfortable silence and Jenny wonders just what he 'sees'. She feels her anger flare, but controls it as she prompts him to continue in a cool voice.

"Was there something you needed?"

"Yes, I was handing these memos out. Here you go."

He hands her a page and goes on to place one on all the other desks before leaving. Jenny quickly scans the page and sighs; it's starting already. Starting immediately all the mailboxes are to be moved up by his office. She sighs and throws the memo into her basket before returning her attention to the work in front of her. She can't help wondering what the next few weeks will hold.

Jenny doesn't have to wait long to see what changes were in store for herself and the others. Over the next month Gibbs makes a steady series of small changes designed to mold the unit to his liking. She has to admit most of the changes don't affect her directly, but it was hard having to accept every little thing his way when she liked how Nelson did things. It also irritates her that many of the changes have actually made life easier on all of them. The team leaders had already accepted his way of doing things and liked the changes. She glares over at the man stepping off the elevator, realizing Abbott Young's team was used to this... since he worked for Gibbs before his promotion to team leader here. Young sees her glare and wonders what he's done to piss her off again.

* * *

She sighs and stops typing to sip her coffee, her mind has once again strayed to Jethro Gibbs. What kind of a name was that? And what kind of man was he? Ever since she got here last year, she'd been so focused on proving herself; becoming a top agent. Gibbs was tough, but also a handsome man and that was proving to be a distraction. It had been apparent from the start he wasn't interested in cultivating personal relationships with anyone here. Never smiling, never flirting over the water cooler... and what was it with those rules? She'd learned about Gibbs' rules as he felt the need to point them out to her. He had a rule for everything. Gibbs lived by them and expected everyone who worked for him to do so too. The problem was they weren't given a set of rules at the onset and apparently didn't share them with you until you violated one of them. She shakes her head, smiling; as she again tries to work on her report.

Gibbs stands, unnoticed in the back hallway for several minutes watching her and wondering what she finds so amusing. The private smile on her face seems almost devilish as if she were plotting something. He feels a twinge in his gut as he pictures her daydreaming about some man. He instantly scolds himself for even allowing his thoughts to go there. He suddenly clears his throat as he steps over to her desk.

"Agent Shepard, you got a minute?"

"Oh! Sure, what's up?" She tries to cover the involuntary startle he gave her when he appeared as if her thoughts had conjured him up out of thin air.

"Some of the new changes, I got a couple questions... but first I got a question for you."

Already Jenny doesn't like the sound of this and the skepticism shows in her voice. "Okay."

"How is it that every morning I find you already here working? Do you sleep here?"

"Seems like it sometimes." She smiles innocently at him and he realizes she never actually answered his question. She is toying with him and he wonders why it's so important to her to beat everyone in each day.

Gibbs takes this as a challenge and decides to get here even earlier tomorrow. "Wanted to ask you about the re-organization. Gonna shake up the teams a bit...you know, move people around."

Jenny's shock is unmistakable. "Move who? And why? Is there a problem?"

Gibbs studies her reaction, but can't keep the smirk from his face as he comments, "You do have a lot of questions, don't you? I can see from your initial reaction you haven't read the latest memo?"

"Well, I... no..." She quickly grabs her mouse and opens her emails to see the new memo attachment from him. She scans it quickly, then sighs, "I didn't think we had any problem areas."

"Not problem areas, but he thinks some of the agents… and a couple team leaders are getting stale. For starters I want to move Dave Lynden over to Cyber Crimes and put Steve Hayworth over Trafficking."

"And me?" Shepard can't help the impatience in her voice.

"I have a special plan in mind for you. Jason Hill retires next week. I'm going to split up his team between you and Young. I want half of them working undercover Ops and the other half as tactical support. Think you two can handle that?"

"You want me to be a team leader? In what, undercover agents or tactical?" Shepard was not intimidated when it came to standing up for herself.

"Your team will be undercover... unless you don't feel you can handle it. Young is already trained on tactical response so it makes sense."

Jenny feels her anger flare at his comment and suddenly bolts from her chair to confront him face to face, angrily demanding he explain that comment. "Are you insinuating that because I'm a woman I can't do as good a job as a man?!"

Gibbs stares into her furious eyes for a moment and tries to keep a straight face as her sudden anger tells him she wasn't intimidated and she'd gladly tear him apart if he wasn't careful. Others in the room begin to stare.

His hand suddenly comes out to grasp her arm, spinning her around to escort her into the hallway where they are out of the eyes of the other agents. Once there, he gives her a firm head slap and she gasps at the sudden reprimand. "If I thought you couldn't handle it, Agent Shepard, I wouldn't I have suggested it."

Recovering from being head slapped by Gibbs; a new experience for her... Jenny backs down. She darts a quick glance at Gibbs and her cheeks flush as she lowers her gaze and stammers to explain her reaction. "Well, no, but it just sounded that way when you said..."

"I wanted you as the U.C team leader because you've shown some good initiative in the past year. Not that you're any less qualified to do the tactical end of this operation."

"All right, Director… understood." She nods and quickly returns to her chair feeling silly for jumping to conclusions and sits staring at the papers on her desk.

Gibbs watches her for a moment, then rolls his eyes and walks away. He is amused by her sudden outburst and even more so by her reaction. Her eyes had dilated, her cheeks flushed in anger, then she'd backed down immediately. Back in his office, he wonders if Shepard was more flustered over the new assignments or being head slapped. Gibbs wasn't one to criticize his people, especially in front of the others, but a head slap now and then made them see what he expected of them.

* * *

Gibbs arrives at the office just before six o'clock the next morning and stops in the bullpen to listen. He grins when all he hears is silence. For the first time he has beat Jenny Shepard. He heads to his office to put his stuff down as he wonders why this little victory is so important… and why she went to so much trouble to keep him from beating her in. He decides to find out and heads back to the bullpen area as he grabs a chair and pushes it over near the elevator to wait for her arrival. He recalls yesterday... when she stood up to him, angry over her perceived slight. Gibbs couldn't resist a smile at her passion and realizes he's been thinking about her a lot lately. He forces these thoughts from his mind as he sits down to wait for her arrival.

Jenny had detoured to the locker room to stow her clean workout gear this morning. She is hurrying up the rear stairs to the bullpen and as she opens the door she stops suddenly; hearing a noise. She stops short and tiptoes the last few steps towards the bullpen where she sees the tip of a silver tinted head over the cubicle wall and realizes Gibbs has finally beaten her into the office. Not only has he beaten her, he was waiting at the elevator to greet her. She backs away silently, thankful her shoes are soft-soled and quiet. She quickly decides on a plan and ducks back down the hallway. She quietly texts his phone and inserts a message that appears to be from Dispatch, asking for a video conference in his office right away. Then she hangs up to wait for him to take the bait.

A few seconds later she hears his phone buzzing and then him grumbling about it. She again creeps towards the bullpen and waits until Gibbs heads to his office. When she hears him open the door, she races through the bullpen and ducks into her desk. A few minutes later she hears Gibbs return to his position by the elevators, not realizing she was there. She takes several deep breaths to calm her racing heart, picks up some files and calmly walks up behind him.

"Good morning, Director, is there a problem?"

Gibbs is startled by her appearance behind him and stands up abruptly, spinning around to face her. His head swivels quickly from the elevator to her and back; speechless, but he finally regains his composure. "How did you….?"

As he is speaking it dawns on him what she did. He points an accusing finger at her as he slowly advances, moving in like a predator. Jenny stands her ground and tries to look innocent, but when he stops directly in front of her, pointing his finger at her in a scolding manner, she exaggerates the innocence in her voice as she asks, "How did I… what?"

"It was you! You sneaky little…"

Jenny can't contain herself any longer and erupts in laughter even as she shakes her head in a weak denial. Gibbs can't believe she tricked him. No one, man or woman, has ever gotten him like she just did. Gibbs was the one who excelled at playing practical jokes on others without ever getting caught. Her laughter suddenly dies away as he reaches out to wrap his hand around her throat.

He exerts a slight pressure on her slender throat, forcing her to look up as her eyes fly up to his in surprise. She trembles as a chill runs down her spine and her eyes darken slightly, but not from fear. He sees her reaction and feels her pulse hammering under his fingers. Their eyes never waver as he stares down into eyes so green they captivate him. He manages to tear his eyes away from hers, but only to lower his gaze to her parted lips. Her lower lip is trembling slightly and he longs to still it with a kiss. His fingers curl more possessively around her throat and he bends closer, but stops suddenly as the elevator bell disturbs the moment. Realizing what he was about to do, shocks him back to reality and he suddenly releases her and steps back.

"Excuse me, Agent Shepard." He moves past her as the elevator doors open to admit a couple of other agents arriving to work.

Gibbs hurries from the bullpen; leaving Jenny standing there in stunned silence. Gibbs makes it safely back to his office and closes the door. He frowns in frustration, knowing he is to blame for the interaction, but thankful he backed off in time... he will have to me much more careful around her in the future.

It takes Jenny several minutes to calm her racing heart, and only then does she realize she dropped the files in her hand. She bends to pick them up as the others give her a curious look as they walk past. Still dazed she tries to sort out what just happened as she goes back to her desk and flops down weakly in her chair. Her prank backfired. In one instant it had gone from being funny to a very intense sexual moment.

The moment he touched her everything had changed, held captive by her own raging passion, she had wanted him to kiss her. She wanted everything his smoky blue eyes had offered. It had rocked her to the core... because she had answered the question in his eyes with an equal desire.

* * *

Although nothing was ever said after that morning a mutual agreement arose. They both avoided contact unless it was strictly related to work. Jenny resumed her regular schedule of arrivals in the morning and Gibbs never again attempted to beat her into the office. When their eyes did meet there was a veil, viewing each other as work professionals only.

It has now been three months since Gibbs took over NCIS and he has finally begun to relax. His changes are in place and everything seems to be running smoothly. Everything that is, except for the tension between Shepard and himself. Gibbs was uneasy around her, afraid if he lets his guard down something will happen. Maybe this new undercover Op will get them focused on work instead of avoiding each other all the time.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Today her guys are out on a surveillance of some Navy stock yard employees who were operating theft ring of government supplies out of this house. They have been watching this house for two days with little action and they are all bored by the long hours. Especially now that it's night and there isn't much to watch except a dark house. She finds the solitude of the stake-out hard to take when her mind keeps drifting back to Agent Gibbs. She sits in her car alone, needing to talk to someone… anyone to get her mind off him. She picks up her radio and clears one of her agents.

"Joe, you there?"

"Yea, boss, what's up?"

"Can you break away to see me?"

"Ten-four, we'll be enroute."

"Negative, don't lose your cover. Advise Andy to stand-by there; I'll pick you up... on the corner east."

She lays the radio down and sighs as she puts the car in drive and heads for their location. Joe is one of her closest friends and she can trust him because they talk frequently. She pulls along the corner and Joe emerges from the shadows of a building. He is unshaven and dirty looking and she can't help but smile at his appearance. Joe is a natural at looking the part when undercover. When he is in the car she pulls away, heading back to her position she finally speaks. "Sorry to drag you away, but I was starting to talk to myself."

"Not a problem. You're a better conversationalist than Andy."

"What? You don't like talking with Andy?"

"You know he only has two topics… sports and women. And even then he isn't very versatile."

She knows exactly; having been in a car with him before. He didn't discuss women with her, but she can just imagine his New York opinions on that. She parks again and leans her seat back to a more comfortable position as she sighs tiredly and tries to relax.

Joe studies her for several minutes before he softly asks, "You want to tell me about it?"

"About what?"

"What has you so tense these days."

"I am not tense."

"Yes you are. Ever since Gibbs took over you've been walking on eggshells."

"You're imagining things, Joe."

"You haven't been the same. We've all noticed it. Is he really the tyrant they said he'd be?"

"No. He's just got his own style. Besides, he's not the problem."

"I've never seen anyone you couldn't charm before."

"Oh, I charmed him all right… and it was a big mistake." There is a long silence as Joe waits for her to continue.

When she remains silent he also leans his seat back and casually prompts her. "Jenny, you can't make a statement like that and then leave me hanging. What happened?"

"About a month ago, I played a little prank on him and he it got a little out of hand. Ever since then I decided it would be best to keep a low profile."

"That's too bad. He's pretty friendly with all the guys."

"That's the optimal word, Joe… guys."

"You mean he's got a problem because you're a woman?"

"No, he just thinks I'm a... distraction." Again she leaves the statement hanging in the silence between them until Joe is about ready to explode from curiosity.

He glances at her impassive face as he tries to understand just what is going on between the two of them. Joe suddenly sits up straight and turns to face her. "You mean to tell me he's got the hots for you?!"

"Absolutely not! I'm just not a simple logical male, I guess."

"So that means you have the hots for him, right?"

"No! God you've been hanging around Andy too long."

Joe studies her for a long moment and starts to understand the tension between the two supervisors. Jenny is staring out the window, pouting and angry at Joe for guessing the real reason so easily.

Just then they hear Andy screaming breathlessly on the radio. "FOOT PURSUIT! RUNNING WEST… INTO THE ALLEY… NOW SOUTH… HE'S RUNNING SOUTH…"

Jenny and Joe immediately flip their seats upright as she drops the gear into drive and floors the accelerator. Joe has the radio in hand when she roars onto the street.

"Andy! What's your location!? We need direction and description!"

They and the others try repeatedly to raise Andy on the radio, but there is no reply. Jenny knows all the other units are aware of his position and are converging to assist. There is still no answer from him by the time she and Joe arrive back at his last location and she is beginning to worry. Joe jumps out to check his car, but finds it locked securely.

Jenny is on the radio, barking out orders, "I want a perimeter put up on a four block area. I want every alley and yard in the sector checked. If need be, we'll do a house by house search until we find Andy." She throws the radio on the seat as Joe returns, "Get me the local Gendarmerie out here for support, NOW!"

He slams the door as she throws the car into reverse. He quickly updates her on the condition of the car and she lays out how she wants the search teams to proceed, beginning with getting them all accounted for and their current locations. Joe gets on the radio and does as ordered. When they reach the alley, just west, they drive very slowly down it, stopping at every house so they can get out to look into the back yards. They shine their flashlights in every dark corner, but no one has any luck locating Andy as they continue in vain to raise him.

It has now been over five minutes and still no reply from him. Jenny is terrified something bad has happened to him. The others are searching the area thoroughly and report in on their status regularly. It seems to go very slowly and when the French Police air unit arrives overhead she requests a FLIR, or infrared, search for body heat. She also requests canine tracking units to assist in the search. Jenny and Joe give up searching to run the command post, back at Andy's car. Joe stays with her to coordinate as he assigns agents in searching different grids on the map. They have now brought in several local police units to assist, but to no avail. Jenny widens the perimeter to seven blocks, in case he didn't get on the radio right away.

After fifteen minutes she knows there is a serious problem and takes out her cell phone to call Gibbs at home. She quickly explains the situation to him and then hangs up as she turns back to see Joe watching her. She sighs heavily and rubs her forehead as he asks, "Well?"

"Just pray we find Andy before the boss gets here."

"We'll find him… and then we'll kill him for doing this."

"Just let him be alive so we can kill him. Now, what's the status?"

He updates her on the search and the fact that the canines are onto a possible trail west of them. She sits quietly for several moments trying to figure out what could have happened to Andy. They sit in silence, both concentrating on the search, until she looks in the rear view mirror as headlights pull in behind her car. She opens her door to go face Gibbs, but gives one last instruction, "Joe, widen the perimeter another two blocks and search that area."

"What in the hell was Andy doing?"

"I have no idea. We'll figure that out later, just get the perimeter moved back while I go explain this to the boss."

She takes a deep breath and walks back to his car. She goes to the passenger side and gets in without speaking. Gibbs glares at her for several seconds, obviously upset. He can see she is waiting for him to speak and tensely demands, "What the hell happened out here?"

"I don't know. The last thing we heard was Andy screaming he was in a foot pursuit west in an alley. Then he said he was south in the alley."

"Which alley?"

"We don't know. He never said and he wasn't supposed to be in an alley. He was assigned to that position in his car." She points to Andy's car ahead of them.

Gibbs rubs his hands over his eyes trying to control his anger. He was angry at himself, not her... this was just another reason why he didn't want to be the director of NCIS Paris Office. He wanted to be out there on the streets with his guys... keeping track of them. He takes a deep breath to control his temper and finally asks, "What's the current status?"

"He's not responding and we haven't found him yet. We're searching every alley, street and yard within a ten block area. I have the local Gendarmerie out with their air unit and canine patrols. Overhead is sweeping with the infrared while canines on the ground are assisting our guys."

"Where was his partner?"

"Joe was with me. Andy knew this was just surveillance. I don't know what he saw that made him go on foot without notifying us first."

"What was Joe doing with you?"

"I asked Joe to meet me for a few minutes. He was only with me for about ten minutes when we heard Andy on the radio." Jenny can tell by the tone of his voice that he isn't happy with her, but she has more important things to worry about right now. "If there isn't anything else, Director, I have a search to coordinate. We're going to do a door to door search next if we don't find anything with the canines and I'm going to need more people for that."

"I'll handle it."

Jenny returns to her car and takes over command of the search again. She tries to ignore Gibbs, but she can feel him hanging around, watching her the entire time. A short time later one of her guys clears to say the canine unit has something several blocks away.

"Jenny... the dog is hitting on a vacant house at 8730 Rue de Riviera. Request assist in the building search."

"Stand by. I'm enroute to your location now. Have all other units hold their positions and continue the search. Get me two agents to 8730 Rue de Riviera."

Jenny quickly drives to that location with Joe with Gibbs following close behind. When they arrive they find the canine officer and two French patrol units waiting with her agents. Jenny quickly takes command. "I want a uniform on front and back perimeter of the building. Joe, you and I will assist in the interior search with the canine." She quickly repeats her command in French so the uniformed officers understand the plan.

Before she can request it, she hears Gibbs on the radio advising he will be in charge while Agent Shepard is inside searching. He also switches to French to instruct the uniformed officers to have their air unit hover overhead in case someone runs from the house. Jenny and Joe go to where the canine is barking furiously outside the rear door to this apparently abandoned house. They take up safe positions on either side of the door that is ajar.

Joe pushes it open and announces loudly to anyone inside to come out with their hands up. The canine officer then announces in French that they are sending in a police dog, but they receive no reply. They tactically enter the house with the canine in the lead. The dog searches frantically, pulling his handler down a hallway while Joe and Jenny clear each room they enter. When the first floor is cleared they notice the dog scratching at a closed doorway.

When Joe opens it they see steep stairs leading down into a dark cellar. With their flashlights they can only see down onto the first landing before it turns and they lose sight. Joe again announces their presence suggests the canine let them clear the stairs first since they are so steep and winding.

She goes first with Joe covering her and the canine guarding the first floor. They move down the steep, creaking stairs, slowly moving into the darkness below. When Jenny comes to the first landing she shines her light around the curve and sees a dark object on the steps below. At first she can't tell what it is, but then recognizes Andy's dark plaid coat. He is lying face down on the stairs in a crumpled mass; unconscious and bleeding from the head.

"Joe, its Andy! Cover me!"

Joe moves into a tactical position on the landing and scopes the dark cellar below while Jenny kneels beside Andy and checks his vital signs. He is breathing, but she sees a lot of blood around his head. She quickly assesses the situation and realizes Andy is seriously injured. In the tense silence they hear something scuffling in the darkness of the cellar.

"Joe, hold your position until the canine can clear the cellar. She calls out in French for the canine officer to get his dog down there and muzzle him coming down since he will have to carry him over the body of their downed agent. She exchanges a scared glance with Joe as she raises her radio and advises those outside of the situation. "Gibbs... call for an ambulance... we found him, agent down in the cellar! And I need additional units inside to secure the first floor and search the top floor."

Gibbs takes over giving the radio commands and she returns her attention to protecting Andy as the canine officer lifts his dog over the top of the three people crouched on the steep stairs. She shields Andy's body with her own until they are past and then sits with gun drawn, hovering over Andy while the canine officer announces again that the dog will be released. They hear more rustling in the darkness, but no reply to the commands to come out so the police dog is released.

The dog races into the darkness, snarling ferociously and then a man screams out in pain. Joe and the canine officer race after the dog, flashlights searching the cellar for the commotion. They find the dog holding the man by the leg, jerking him along the floor, trying to drag him out into the open. The dog is called off and Joe quickly takes the suspect into custody.

The American man is quickly revealed as one of their Navy suspects. He lies on the floor, repeatedly yelling in a panicked voice, "I didn't do it! I didn't do it!"

He is quickly interrogated as to other possible suspects in the building, but he just keeps crying about his injured leg. The canine officer steps closer to him, letting his dog snarl in his face and he finally admits he is the only one in the house. Joe drags the suspect over to the foot of the steps while the canine officer lifts his dog back up the steps to continue the search upstairs. No one else is found inside and they finally give the all clear. Jenny anxiously advises those outside of the status.

"The house is clear, one in custody. Have them come in with a back board for neck and head injuries. Advise them we're on the cellar steps and they're very dark, steep and unstable."

Jenny stays with Andy, checking his pulse and trying to get a response from him as Joe completes his search of the suspect for weapons. When paramedics arrives Jenny steps back to let them work and it takes them some time to get him stabilized and strapped onto a backboard on the narrow steps. Jenny and Joe guard the prisoner, who is still seated on the floor at the base of the steps.

He continually whines about his leg where the dog bit him, "I'm injured too, you know! I demand those guys take care of me right now! I could bleed to death! I'm gonna sue the Navy and NCIS for abusive treatment, damn it!"

Jenny has finally had enough of his whining and turns to lean over him as she angrily points a finger in his face and hisses, "Look, buddy. Your leg is not a life threatening injury. That agent is and if they have to treat you first and he dies you're gonna get charged for his murder! You understand that?!"

The prisoner looks afraid and then turns his attention from her to Joe for sympathy. Joe glares angrily down at the worthless excuse for a human being and explains the facts of life to him. "If he dies because he was trying to stop you from breaking the law, you get charged with his murder. So just shut up!"

The man sits quietly for several moments, watching the paramedics work on Andy. After a while he begins to cry as he again whines, "But it hurts…. real bad…"

In unison Joe and Jenny, all look over at him and shout at him, "Shut up!


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The prisoner finally gets the message and sits quietly while they care for Andy. When they have him stabilized and on the cradle they all assist in lifting him up the steep stairs. One paramedic stays behind to treat the prisoner's dog bite. Jenny doesn't wait to see the prognosis on the prisoner's wounds as she hurries upstairs after the paramedics. Once outside Gibbs and several other officers crowd around, all concerned about their fellow agent.

She quickly briefs her boss, "He's pretty bad. Looks like he may have fallen head first down those steep stairs and hit his head on the block wall. The steps are old and rickety and its pitch black down there. He's breathing on his own, but not responsive. No invasive trauma that we could see, but I can't say if the blunt force trauma to his head was before and caused him to fall... or if it happened during the fall."

"The suspect?"

"It's one our Navy suspects and he has a dog bite to his right thigh. It looked minor, but he's whining a lot about it. I still don't know how or why Andy got to this location, but the suspect keeps saying 'I didn't do it'. Joe has the prisoner and I'll go to the hospital with Andy."

"Go. Keep me posted. I'll meet you there when this mess is cleared up."

She nods as she turns away, missing Gibbs's worried gaze and follows the gurney as they head for the ambulance. Several agents start to follow along, but stop Gibbs tiredly calls out to them, "All right guys, we've got a crime scene to handle. Let's get back to work, okay?"

They reluctantly return to their posts as Joe and the last paramedic bring the limping suspect out of the building. Everyone stops to glare at him and Gibbs quickly orders Joe to pull his car up so they can contain the suspect away from these angry agents. Gibbs pulls Joe aside, "Joe, take him to County Hospital for treatment. Agent Montclair will drive. Get a statement as soon as possible. We need to know what the hell happened here."

"Got it."

"No one hears his statement except you, Joe. I want a lid on this thing... and whatever you do don't let that scumbag out of your sight." Joe isn't surprised when Gibbs adds his comment. He had been wondering how long it would take for him to forget about his new job and revert back to the tough field agent he used to know.

"No problem, boss. I'll report directly back to you."

He nods to them both as Joe slips into the back seat next to the suspect while Montclair takes the driver's seat. Gibbs knows what needs to be done, but in the back of his mind he can't erase Agent Shepard's face when she came out of the building. She was professionally on the exterior, but he could see that underneath she was fighting to keep from falling apart.

* * *

When Gibbs finally arrives at the hospital, he sees the media circus already gathering outside and skirts around them. He heads for the waiting room to find Jenny. He stops in the doorway, noticing her tense stance; with her back to him she doesn't hear him approach until he stops directly behind her.

"Jenny, how's he doing?" She spins around at his voice and Gibbs can see she has been crying. He suddenly wants to take her in his arms, but forces himself to remain still as she slowly wipes her eyes.

"He's in surgery right now. He has two fractured vertebrae in his neck, massive head trauma and swelling on the brain. He's non-responsive which may mean he's in a coma…"

Her voice catches and she fights back the tears again, trying to be professional, but her emotions are getting the better of her. She lowers her head and covers her tear filled eyes with her hands. She takes slow deep breaths to calm herself as Gibbs watches helplessly, wanting to comfort her.

"Andy never regained consciousness… so I still don't know… why… or how…" She finally ends on a soft sob as she starts crying again. She tries to turn away from his intense gaze, but Gibbs can't stand her pain any longer and turns her back into his protective arms. Her body shakes as the sobs continue and he holds her gently.

"It's all right, Jen. Don't worry about the details. We need to concentrate on getting Andy through this first… ssshhh… easy…"

She allows herself to melt into the warm comfort of his embrace as her hands gently curl into the material of his shirt to hold him closer. Her head is resting on his chest and after several minutes her tears stop. Gibbs is gently stroking her back as he holds her close and whispers to her. Through her distraught state she feels a heat stirring deep within her as she breathes in his musky male scent. Her hands spread across the wide expanse of his muscular chest and when she feels him place a light kiss on her temple, she lifts her head to look up at him. When their eyes meet he gently wipes away the tear stains on her cheek.

Her cheek tilts into his caress and this small movement brings her lips directly under his thumb. He can't resist tenderly dragging his thumb across the softness of her lower lip and her lips part in response. His breath catches in his throat as he is overcome with the need to kiss her. She remains motionless; her eyes reflecting her own desire. In slow motion he lowers his mouth to hers in a tender kiss which electrifies them upon contact. A tremor races down her spine as she returns his brief caress. Gibbs's body reacts as he pulls back to again look into the bright green eyes, lost in their allure. He can't look away, spellbound as the seconds tick by and his heart hammers in his chest.

Jenny finally breaks the spell as she raises up on her tiptoes, bringing her lips back to his as she softly breathes, "Gibbs…" The feel of her soft lips sends a lightning bolt through him and a husky growl escapes him as he takes the sweetness she offers. He pulls her tightly against him as his kisses become more confident and she melts into his embrace. Sighing breathlessly as her hands curl around his neck, their kisses blending one into the next as the urgency increases.

She is drowning in the intensity of it all and finally breaks the kiss to gasp for breath as she moans against his lips, "Ohh, Gibbs…"

He abruptly stops her words as his teeth close over her lower lip and she gasps. He holds her lip as his tongue glides wetly over its softness and she trembles. Her fingers glide up into his hair to urge his mouth back to hers and this time her tongue meets his eagerly. Gibbs growls and kisses her hungrily as his tongue delves deeply in search of her very soul. They have lost all sense of time and location until they suddenly hear voices approaching from the hallway.

Reality crashes in on them and Jenny breaks the kiss, pushing away from him in stunned silence. Their eyes hold for a moment in silent question, but when the waiting room door opens Jenny spins away to cover her emotional distress from the newcomers. Gibbs tries to comprehend what just happened, but doesn't get much time to think as Joe calls his name.

"Gibbs? How is he?" Joe stands there looking drained and exhausted with the other two agents on his team flanking him. Agent Ned Bowers and Agent Walter Timpson look just as worried for their team member.

Gibbs turns away from her to greet them and clears his throat as he runs a quick hand over his mouth to remove any traces of their indiscretion. He composes himself as he gives them a quick rundown on the status as they know it. "He's still in surgery, broken neck, head injury with brain swelling..."

Jenny quietly excuses herself, saying she wants to check with the nurse again. She keeps her eyes averted, and doesn't notice the worried stare Gibbs gives her as she passes him. She really just needed to put some distance between herself and Gibbs right now. She isn't quite sure what just happened, but she doesn't trust herself to speak with anyone. She is still shaking after several minutes and decides to find a restroom where she can hide until she calms down.

One glance in the restroom mirror tells her all she needs to know. Her flushed cheeks, her swollen lips and the glitter in her eyes clearly gave away how excited she was by that man. She realizes for the first time just how strongly she is attracted to him. The way her body came alive in his arms totally scares her to think how completely she had surrendered. And here… in the hospital when she should have nothing on her mind except Andy's well being! She feels a wave of guilt wash over her at this unforgivable behavior. She takes several deep breaths and glances over her calmer reflection one last time. Her cheeks have a rosy glow and she scolds herself to get a grip before she goes out to face the man who has turned her entire world upside down.

* * *

When Jenny returns to the waiting room she finds it full of concerned agents and Naval officers, but Gibbs is nowhere to be seen. To her relief Joe tells her he went to the NCIS offices to interrogate the suspect personally. She spends the next couple hours in a blur as they all stand around talking and waiting. Everyone is anxious about Andy and the tension is high in the crowded room. After a while Jenny can't stand it anymore and quietly slips out into the hallway. It is now early morning and Andy has been in surgery for six hours. She is exhausted and has a raging head-ache, but she doesn't want to leave until she knows if Andy will be all right.

She leans against the wall in the darkened hallway, unaware that Gibbs is watching her from the other end. He got back from his interrogation about thirty minutes ago, but has been standing here wondering how he is going to face her. He is just as shocked over what happened, but his burden of guilt is much heavier. He took advantage of her weakened emotional state! What kind of a jerk would use an emotional situation like that to make a sexual advance?!

Jenny probably thought he was a real bastard, but as he stands watching her, he has to wonder why she responded like she did. Maybe it was just the emotional stress she was under. He knew stress can be vented in sexual situations, but could that explain the way she had looked at him and whispered his name?

Just then she turns to see him watching her from down the hall. There is a long hesitation, then Gibbs takes a deep breath and decides not to let her see how deeply affected he was by their brief interlude. He walks directly towards her as if nothing is wrong and tries to sound calm as he stops before her. "Aahh… what happened earlier... you know... I can't let it affect the investigation I have to do on this."

He sees the shock register on her face and hears her swift intake of breath. Immediately he realizes she took his words wrong and by the look on her face he couldn't have made matters worse if he had slapped her. He doesn't know what to say next so he quickly turns on his heel and goes into the waiting room.

Jenny is so shocked she can't even move as his words echo in her mind. She knew there had to be one, but did he actually believe she had kissed him… thrown herself at him just to influence the outcome of the investigation?! Yes, she has some explaining to do, but he had insinuated she was trying to persuade his investigation with sexual favors! Like a ton of bricks the reality of the situation crashes in on her and she sighs heavily as she admits her life is about to become a living hell. She tiredly walks off down the hall.

Inside, Gibbs is no less stunned by this latest turn of events. After he saw her expression he knew she'd taken his words wrong. What he meant to say was he couldn't let his own feelings for her interfere with the investigation. He was to blame for the entire scene earlier because he'd taken advantage of her emotional state. He was professional, should have been in control, and instead of helping her through this stressful time he used it for his own selfish pleasure.

He can't deny he enjoyed those kisses, enjoyed the feel of her softly curved body against his… enjoyed the thrill of her surrender. He can still recall her perfume, her sweet kisses and his manhood began to respond accordingly. He quickly forces these thoughts from his head and scans the room to make sure no one was watching him. He has never hated himself more than he does right now for the pain he caused her… the woman he secretly considered the perfect one for him. He sees Agent Montclair motioning to him and takes a deep breath as he walks over to the group across the room. He tries to concentrate on the conversation, but his guilt weighs heavily on his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Over the next tense weeks Jenny spends all of her free time at the hospital. At first Andy showed no signs of life, but then one day, almost a month after his accident, he opened his eyes and showed signs of recognition. Now, after an additional three weeks he can blink his eyes when spoken to as a form of communication. His entire body is still paralyzed and the ventilator won't allow for speech. The doctors are optimistic about his progress and say he could still show improvement in weeks to come when the swelling around his spinal cord comes down. Jenny has taken it upon herself to be there for Andy because he has no other family.

Gibbs is very understanding about her time there, however they still had an investigation to run. That task, more and more fell on Young's shoulders while Gibbs was conducting the internal investigation of that night. Neither has mentioned the incident at the hospital on the night of Andy's accident.

From the suspect they were able to piece together a somewhat sketchy picture of how Andy's accident happened. Somehow he left his car and was walking northbound on a street one block over from the house they were watching. The suspect first saw him as he was getting out of the stolen car, which he parked away from the house. He wasn't going to take any chances of them linking the car to him or his house. The suspect was looking for a lighter when Andy walked by so he had asked him for a light. They stood talking for several minutes before it dawned on both of them who they were talking to.

Andy recognized the suspect at the same moment the suspect realized Andy was a Navy cop. The suspect ran and Andy chased him for several blocks. Andy hadn't gotten on the radio until they were several streets away, at which time the suspect realized he needed to hide. So he ran into the abandoned house that he has used as a hideout before. He knew the cellar stairs were steep, but Andy didn't and when he came racing down the steps after him in the pitch blackness, he stumbled and fell. The suspect thought Andy was dead so he had planned to hide out down there until the cops went away. Then he would sneak back home and leave Andy in the cellar, but then the canine picked up his scent and he got caught.

Jenny hasn't been able to get much out of Andy because his memory was still pretty vague about that night. The doctor tells her to be patient because every day his memory and his body will get stronger. Andy is able to answer some questions by blinking his eyes… once for no and twice for yes.

Jenny sits beside him on his bed, holding his hand as she does every day while she talks about the routine news from the office. It is hard having one-sided conversations every day so she tries to include him by asking simple questions he can answer. Keeping her tone positive for him, but inside her heart aches for this young man whose career is over.

She holds his hand up where he can see it as she gently asks, "Can you feel anything today?" He blinks his eyes once which means no. She sighs and smiles at him as she lowers his hand and soothes, "Well, I wouldn't worry, last week you couldn't even blink your eyes, remember?"

He blinks twice for yes and she smiles, even though she feels like crying. She jokes with him to lighten the mood. "Before you know it you'll be back to chasing all the girls again. Then I'll be wishing you were like this again, huh?"

He blinks his eyes once and she realizes there are tears forming in his eyes at this sad thought. She leans over and brushes back his hair from his brow as she softly comforts him. "I wouldn't really wish that. I want you back the way you were, kiddo. We just have to keep a positive outlook, all right?" He blinks twice through his own tears and she gently wipes his eyes with a cloth. "You're getting stronger every day and soon enough you'll be walking and talking again."

Again he blinks twice for yes and then his eyes move past her towards the doorway. She follows his gaze and sees Gibbs standing there watching them. She feels the familiar nervousness welling up inside her, but controls it as she calmly greets him. "Agent Gibbs. We were just discussing how soon Andy will be ready for active duty again. He says he'll be back next week, but I think it's gonna be at least two weeks yet."

"Gotta agree with your boss, Andy. I think we can hold down the fort for a while. How you feeling today?" Andy blinks twice which also means good. Gibbs sits on the opposite edge of his bed and pats him on the chest. "Good. You know, I asked the doctor if there was any chance you could be faking this."

Andy looks worried as his eyes go from Gibbs's to Jenny's and then back. She also looks confused as she looks at Gibbs uncertainly. Gibbs smiles and continues, "Told him a lady's man like you would do just about anything to keep this one sitting here by your bedside day after day holding your hand. Hell, I might be tempted to fake it myself."

Andy's eyes light up and they can tell he thinks this is funny. He can't laugh, but his breathing increases as his eyes glitter with amusement. He looks at Jenny and blinks twice quickly as he heartily agrees. Jenny blushes and tries to cover her embarrassment by lifting his hand up where he can see it again. "I know what you're thinking, mister, but your hand is the only thing I have ahold of."

Again Andy's eyes glitter happily and Gibbs laughs out loud. At his deep, warm laughter a familiar thrill runs down her spine. Their eyes meet over Andy and her eyes darken like before. For an endless moment when they are lost in this gaze while Andy looks from one to the other curiously. Jenny finally breaks the trance. "Don't worry Andy. I don't care how good he pretends… I'd rather be here with you."

Andy blinks twice and Gibbs doesn't miss the hidden message directed at him. She is still angry with him about the investigation. He sighs heavily and keeps up the playful front for Andy's sake. "Guess you get her all to yourself, buddy."

She glares at him in silent warning and he merely returns her gaze innocently, but then winks and she finds herself blushing as she suddenly stands up, desperate to get away from him. "I… I'm gonna go stretch my legs for a bit while you two guys talk."

They watch her leave and when Gibbs looks back to Andy he sees one eyebrow raised suggestively. Gibbs grins and again pats his chest as he quietly agrees, "Know exactly what you mean. Hey, Andy, you feel up to answering some questions about that night?" Andy blinks twice, wishing desperately he could talk. Gibbs begins to ask him about the night of his accident.

"Okay, did you see something that caused you to go on foot?" Andy blinks once. "Were you looking for something?" Again, one blink of his eyes. "Were you looking for the other agents?" Another single blink. Gibbs sighs and rubs his eyes tiredly as he tries to hide his frustration.

He finally looks down at this young agent and asks, "What… were you just out walking for the hell of it?" Andy blinks twice and Gibbs feels hope that he is finally getting somewhere. "Were you tired?" One blink again. "Were you bored?" Andy blinks twice, then looks down as if embarrassed to admit this.

"And you ran into our suspect?" He blinks twice again. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were out on foot? Scratch that, you can't answer that one." Andy quickly blinks his eyes several times as if to say he can answer it. Gibbs thinks for a moment and then rephrases his question into a yes or no format. "Did you tell someone?" He blinks once. "Were you doing something you shouldn't?" This time his eyes blink hard, one time. "Then what? Were you looking for trouble?"

Andy again blinks twice and then looks away, ashamed. Gibbs watches him for some time and sees a tear roll down Andy's cheek. Andy knows what he did was stupid and now he'll be paying for it for the rest of his life. Gibbs sighs heavily and waits until Andy has calmed down before he continues. "You were trying to work this case?" Andy blinks twice through his tears. "Trying to bring it together and it backfired when you chased that guy down the steps."

This last statement isn't a question, but Andy blinks twice in answer, confirming what Gibbs already suspected. Andy refuses to look at Gibbs now as more tears roll down his cheeks and Gibbs sighs heavily as he comforts him. "Christ Andy, we've all done it… just rotten luck to have it end this way. You did solve the case though and we got the guys... but at what cost to you?"

Andy blinks twice and the tears roll freely down his face now as his eyes come up to meet his boss's. Gibbs knows his career is over and feels sad, but tries to keep a positive front as he smiles gently. "At least you got the girl... to have that woman so devoted..."

Andy's eyes glitter through his tears and Gibbs wipes his cheeks with a corner of the blanket. After several minutes he seriously adds, "Andy, don't worry about what's done. You need all your energy for getting better, okay?"

He again blinks twice and their eyes hold for a long moment as a special bond forms between them. After that they sit quietly until Andy finally drifts off into an exhausted sleep. When he is sure Andy is asleep he slips out of the room to find Agent Shepard.

* * *

He finds her sitting on a bench at the end of the hallway, staring out the large window. She is gazing at the trees, but a million miles away and doesn't hear him approach. She is startled when he sits on the bench beside her and tenses at his nearness. She starts to get up when he exhales tiredly and pleads for her company.

"Don't go…"

The pain in his voice stops her and she realizes he is upset. They sit for a long time just staring straight ahead, next to each other, but miles apart. Gibbs doesn't speak and after a long time he just extends his hand to her. Jenny hesitates, then slowly extends her hand until it is hovering above his. He waits and she finally drops her hand into his larger one. His fingers close gently over hers. He sighs, laying their hands on his thigh as they go back to staring out the window.

After some time Gibbs finally speaks, "Andy is lucky to have someone who cares about him as much as you do."

She tries to force her heart to slow its rhythm, but it's no use. His touch makes her tremble and the sound of his deep sexy voice melts her inside. She carefully answers his double-edged comment. "I'm just keeping him company. He doesn't have any family."

"You do more than that, Jen. You give him hope and that'll make him better."

There is a long silence again as Jenny adjusts to this new nickname. No one has called her Jen before... not that she doesn't like it. After several minutes she sighs sadly. "I just hope he gets better."

"So do I." He gently squeezes her hand and they sit in a more comfortable silence together. Gibbs hates to break their moment of peace, but there are things he must say now that he has her attention. "I have all the information I need to complete the investigation."

He feels her tense, but won't allow her to pull her hand away as he quietly continues, "Jen, let me finish. Know you're angry about what happened that night. You have every right to be, but you misunderstood me. When I said I couldn't let what happened interfere with my investigation..."

She tenses further and tries again to pull her hand away, but his grip tightens as he pulls her hand closer and now holds it in both of his. He stares down at their hands for a moment while she watches suspiciously and he struggles to explain.

"I never meant to say it was intentional… it just happened. We were both under a lot of stress and if anyone is to blame it's me. I was wrong to take advantage of your emotional state. I meant to say... I couldn't let my own personal feelings get in the way of the investigation. I'm sorry for the way I acted, Jen… it was totally inappropriate."

There is a long tense silence between them. Her frowning expression, looks angry, but in reality she is stunned. All this time she has been blaming herself because she should have been thinking about Andy. They were both emotional that night, but it was entirely his fault. She is relieved to hear he isn't accusing her of anything devious in kissing him.

"So… it was just an accident… of circumstances?"

"Right, completely understandable."

"And there was no ulterior motive on your part… or mine?"

"Absolutely not. Just a natural reaction to a stressful situation."

"Right... happens all the time when people are going through really stressful stuff."

"Exactly, and now that it's over everything is back to normal."

"So we should just forget the whole thing?"

"Yep, hardly even worth making a fuss over, right?"

"Well, not really. Before you know it we won't even be able to remember it happened at all."

"Right, everything will be back to normal."

They are both nervous and trying very hard to convince the other of what they are saying. Even as they secretly admit those few intense kisses left a lasting impression on them that won't be forgotten any time soon. The conversation drops off again and Gibbs continues to stare down at their linked hands. His thumb slowly strokes her soft skin and she sits quietly until she feels the heat rising in her and suddenly stands up, pulling her hand away as she steps back.

"Now that we have that settled I better get back to Andy."

"Don't worry about the investigation. Andy was able to tell me what happened so I can put an end to it and send it off to D.C."

"Poor Andy. not only did it end his career, but it could affect the rest of his life… depending on the outcome of your report."

"Yea, that doesn't make me too happy either."

"Thank you for coming... it means a lot." She hesitates at Andy's door to turn and smile at Gibbs before going inside.

Gibbs is left wondering if it meant a lot to her or Andy? He didn't like lying to her about the kisses meaning nothing, but she wasn't ready for the truth. Besides, from the relief in her voice they must not have meant that much to her. He sighs sadly and heads off down the corridor.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Gibbs agonizes over the final report for another couple of days while he makes sure the wording is just right. He wants to minimize the negative impact on Andy. There were things done wrong, but they don't really seem to matter in light of Andy's injuries. Gibbs had spoken with Jenny about that night too and she had bravely admitted that she screwed up. She was willing to accept the consequences to save Andy from anything negative. Gibbs hadn't said anything at the time; just nodded as she walked away; shocked and impressed by her integrity.

It has now been another month since Andy was able to start blinking his eyes, two months since the accident and the ventilator has been removed so he can breathe on his own. He can now talk, somewhat, in slow slurred speech. He has tingling sensations in his right arm and even managed to twitch his fingers on command and the doctors were happy. They think he may still make a full recovery if he keeps this up.

Although Jenny never spoke about it she was worried about that investigation. She could receive discipline or be demoted, but her main concern was for Andy. If they found he'd done something reckless or out of policy it would affect his insurance coverage of the accident. The last thing Andy needed right now was to hear his medical bills won't be covered.

Now that he can speak the others are coming around to see him more often which gives Jenny some time off from her vigil. She feels like she hasn't slept in months and plans to spend this weekend in bed. The only problem is she'll be dreaming about the night Gibbs kissed her again. She may pretend she's forgotten, but she hasn't. And another thing... what had Gibbs meant when he said 'he couldn't allow his feelings to interfere'?

Gibbs fights a daily battle to stay away from Jenny now. This past month has been especially hard since he's also been waiting anxiously for his investigation results. The silence worries him because they could be taking a long time in order to deny him the benefits... or they could be ensuring he will always be taken care of. Gibbs can't decide which way it will go, but the wait is driving him crazy.

Now, on this Friday afternoon, eleven weeks after Andy's injury, Gibbs finally gets the call. SECNAV wanted to let him know personally that the investigation was done and the paperwork had been signed off. "Gibbs, glad I caught you."

Gibbs is just swinging his coat over his shoulder to leave. "Mr. Secretary... something you needed?"

"Got the results back on your investigation."

"Gotta tell ya, I've been sweating this one." His tension is obvious even over the international connection. "Is it something I want to hear?"

"Hope so. Complete exoneration."

"Good... he'll get full benefits and complete insurance coverage."

"Went to bat for that kid, Gibbs. We all know what he did was stupid, but we've been there before."

"My thoughts exactly. So is that all? What about Shepard?"

"There was never any question, Gibbs. Kinda surprised you included her in the investigation at all."

"Didn't want there to be any questions… you know, being her first time as team leader... my first investigation as assistant director... any question of favoritism."

"Should there be, Gibbs?" Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he mentally head slaps himself for saying that. The last thing he needed was to have SECNAV wondering what was going on in the Paris office.

"No! Just gave her the prime assignment here... brand new team leader... not that she didn't deserve it." He fumbles over his words and decides to follow his own rules and just stop talking.

"Gibbs..." Before Gibbs can respond, "Just don't make me regret making you interim director over there." And with that the connection is severed and Gibbs stands stunned, wondering if the man 4,000 miles away could tell he was bumbling like an idiot. But Gibbs had to admit... there was just something about Jenny Shepard.

For the first time Gibbs realizes how this has changed. At first it had just been sexual attraction, but it's much more. Remembering the way she melted in his arms that night... the instant spark of attraction they had was definitely more. He pulls himself back to the present. Right now, he has more important things to attend to… like telling Andy that his financial worries are over.

* * *

As he walks down the hall he sees Jenny coming towards him. She has her head down, reading a file and almost runs into him. He is standing directly in her path and she jerks her head up abruptly, startled by his appearance. Her pulse jumps as she looks up into his expressionless face. He taps her file and asks, "Is that urgent, or can it wait?"

"It can wait... I guess."

"Good. Let's go." He takes the papers from her and tosses them into her mailbox where she can find them later.

With his hand on her elbow they walk briskly towards the elevators. When they are alone in the elevator car Gibbs pushes the garage level and then stands silent as the car begins to descend.

Jenny wonders what has him so tense as she studies him for a moment and then cautiously asks, "So, are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"To the hospital."

"I just got back from there."

"I want you there when I tell him the news." Still Gibbs stares straight ahead at the polished brass door.

"What news? The results of the investigation?" Her suspicious tone tells him she is already considering bad news.

He keeps his face neutral as he nods again. She is really worried now and turns to look him directly in the eye as she tries to decipher if its good or bad news for Andy. Gibbs looks back calmly and she can't tell one way or the other. "Damn it, Gibbs!"

He just looks back with innocent confusion at her outburst, but the corner of his mouth twitches in amusement. She realizes he is teasing her and paces away from him until she is at the farthest corner of the car. The anticipation is killing her as she finally spins around to face him. "What is it?!"

He smirks, enjoying his little game, before he shrugs casually and answers, "Complete exoneration."

Jenny is thrilled and claps her hands triumphantly as she bounces up and down and exclaims, "Yes! I'm so happy I could kiss you!" She stops suddenly as she realizes what she just said. She blushes as she looks over to see Gibbs's brow raised questioningly to her. A slight smile raises one side of his sexy mouth and this only adds to her embarrassment as she looks away and stammers to explain. "Well, I mean… I wouldn't really… do that. That would be… inappropriate and…"

Gibbs is enjoying her dilemma and allows her to stammer for a moment before he smiles and quietly teases, "Pretty sure you wouldn't get in trouble for that."

She tries to cover her nervousness his playful response is causing her. She holds her hands tightly in front of her when she notices they are shaking. She is afraid to look up, but she already knows. She heard it in his softly teasing voice. She tries to ignore the implications as she nervously replies, "I'll have to remember that… if ever… I mean... away from work or…"

She darts a quick glance up and is stunned into silence by the fire she sees smoldering in his eyes. The moment suddenly crackles with sexual awareness and Jenny is unable to look away. He slowly shakes his head as he steps closer, reaching out to pull her towards him as he huskily asks, "No need..."

Her body refuses to obey the warning bells in her head as she is brought slowly into his embrace. Her hands come up flat on his chest, in a position to push him away, but unable to do so. His arms curve around her waist, pressing her against his lean male frame and her skin tingles at his touch. He lowers his mouth towards hers, but then stops with only inches between them to wait. Her defenses crumble instantly and she stands on tiptoe to bring her lips up to his. The first caress is hesitant, but there is nothing hesitant about her body's response.

Gibbs aches to draw her tightly into his arms and find the passion he knows is hidden inside her. He forces himself to be patient, waiting for her to make the move. Her hand slips around his neck, drawing his mouth down to hers and this time there is no hesitation. A mutual sigh escapes them as the sparks fly and their passions flare. Her arms encircle his neck as he pulls her tightly against his chest; lifting her up to his kiss. The impatient pressure of his mouth demands entry and she eagerly obeys. When his tongue plunges in to claim hers she moans softly and melts into his embrace. Each hungry kiss blends into the next until they are lost to everything but this moment.

She is drowning in his caresses and finally curls her fingers into his thick hair, easing him back as she gasps for breath. They are breathing hard as their eyes meet and Gibbs is the first to speak as he huskily whispers, "God, I haven't been able to stop thinking about kissing you."

She smiles because his words echo everything in her own heart. She kisses him lightly and then softly admits, "I've been thinking about you, too."

This time as his mouth claims hers, the urgency is gone and their kisses are slow and sweet and full of emotion. They are in a world all their own, expressing the desire they have been hiding all these months. The ringing of the elevator bell suddenly forces them back to reality. Jenny gasps in surprise and steps back so suddenly she staggers against the wall. Gibbs steadies her with one hand, but releases her and steps back just as the doors slide open. They both take a deep breath and try to appear normal as they see Joe Stoddard standing there.

He steps in and then stops abruptly as he realizes he just interrupted something. He looks from Jenny's flushed cheeks and puffy lips to Gibbs's stern glare, but sees a slight smudge of red lipstick on Gibbs's mouth and understands. He finally reaches into his pocket and removes a handkerchief; holding it out to Gibbs and casually teases him. "Red isn't really your color, Director."

Gibbs takes the handkerchief and wipes his mouth quickly as Jenny urgently tries to explain, "Joe…"

Holding up his hand, smiles and backs out of the car without another word. On his way out he leans over to push the 'close door' button and then steps back, leaving them alone in the car. When they are alone again and the car is moving down Jenny lets out a sigh of relief and sags against the wall. "Wow…"

"Good thing it was just Joe standing there."

She looks up and can't hide a smile as she holds out her hand for the handkerchief. She takes the cloth to tenderly wipe his lip as she steps closer and teasingly whispers, "I meant us… wow."

He grins as she also removes the remaining lipstick from her own mouth. Gibbs waits as she puts the cloth in her pocket and then leans down to kiss her one last time. The caress is brief, but intense as she once again moans softly and responds to him. When he pulls back Jenny asks, "So now what?"

Gibbs steps back, putting some distance between them so he can think clearly as he straightens his tie. He glances over to her and casually smiles, "Now we go tell Andy the good news."

"For us, Gibbs?" Jenny is very nervous knowing Joe caught them, even though she trusts her friend.

"Then we find some place private where we can talk."

"How private?" Her worried expression makes him laugh at as he puts his hand on her elbow when the elevator stops on the garage level. When the door opens he escorts her out as he quietly responds to her question.

"Why, don't you trust me?"

"Actually it's me I don't trust right now."

"Don't let this suit and tie fool you, lady." He opens his car door for her and raises his eyebrows suggestively and she laughs, understanding his hidden meaning.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

When they arrive at the hospital Andy's doctor is just finishing up his daily examination and writing a few notes on his chart when they come in. Andy immediately notices something different in his boss's demeanor, but he can't quite decide what it is about her as she approaches. "So Doctor Simmons, how's our boy doing today?"

"Much better. He's showing improvement in his right arm, new sensations in his chest and his speech is coming easier. I hear from all the nurses he's also complaining about the food, but that's normal."

"Could always stop feeding him. After a few days he'd like it better." Gibbs keeps his stern face, but they all know he is kidding.

"Hey… who…who's s...side you on?" Andy grins over at Gibbs and notices the way Jenny playfully slapped his arm.

"Yours, so quit complaining and eat. You need your strength."

"That's what I keep telling him. Well, I have other rounds to see to. Good-bye."

When he has gone Gibbs comes to sit on the edge of Andy's bed by his left side. He spends several seconds just looking at him; his color looks better now that they have elevated the bed so he can sit up somewhat. He still can't move due to the metal halo immobilizing his neck and head, but it's easier for him to see around his room now. Jenny comes to stand at the foot of his bed. When the silence stretches on he realizes something has happened. His brow creases as he looks to her. "Wh…what's up, boss?"

"Can't I come see you twice in one day?"

B…but you… you're with him?" Andy's eyes dart from her to Gibbs and back again.

"He's not so bad once you get to know him. All an act, right, Agent Gibbs?"

She steps up beside him and lays her hand on his shoulder in a very familiar way. Gibbs seems more relaxed around her also, but he playfully glares at her and growls, "Not if you're gonna go around telling everyone my secret."

Andy watches the interchange between them curiously and it suddenly dawns on him why they both seem different to him. They have a connection now and the underlying tension is gone. Andy wonders if something is going on between them, "I… always… knew…knew you w…was a nice guy."

"Glad to hear that, Andy." Gibbs grins, but they aren't fooling Andy and his next question expresses his worry.

"S… so why the visit?"

"Because we have news... from the investigation and I wanted to tell you personally."

Andy suddenly looks very worried and his eyes move from Gibbs to Jenny. She sees the fear and understands as she moves to his side. Andy is breathing hard and Gibbs slips out of the way as Jenny sits beside him, leaning close as she strokes his cheek and soothes him. "Easy Andy… it's all right… take it easy…"

Gibbs realizes Andy is assuming the worst and tries to comfort him as he smiles reassuringly. Andy is scared, but needs to know the results. "Wha… what is it?"

"It's all right. You were cleared... there won't be any problem with your benefits."

Andy is so relieved by the good news that tears stream down his cheeks and he weakly raises his right arm to pat her hand as he brokenly whispers, "Th…thank…y…you…"

Jenny gently brushes his tears away in a soothing manner. After a few moments his tears stop and he begins to calm down. She smiles warmly. "I told you everything would be all right. There was never any doubt."

"But… I… I screwed up…"

"It was an accident, Andy. It's over; so forget about it. Concentrate on getting better now."

Andy is too choked up to reply to Gibbs and can only smile up at the two people who have become very close friends to him. Jenny has been his guardian angel over the last few months, but Gibbs has become a very friend and confidant. Jenny is close to tears herself and quietly excuses herself to step out into the hallway.

Back in the room, Gibbs and Andy continue talking about what the results mean for him. Gibbs takes Jenny's place at his side and tells him about his benefits and insurance coverage. Andy is relieved to hear that all of his medical bills will be paid no matter how long it takes. After a while they just sit together in a comfortable silence until Andy finally gets up the nerve to ask him about the change between them.

"So… I gu… guess I… on my… my own now… huh?"

"Not at all. Why do you think that?"

"Ca… cause… you g…got the girl now."

Gibbs doesn't answer him, but just looks down at a spot on the blanket around Andy's chest. After several moments he again meets Andy's eyes and simply smiles at him. Andy knows from his silence he was right. "G… good for y… you, b… boss."

"Pretty damned observant, buddy."

"I'm a... tr..trained… agent..." Andy grins and Gibbs just pats his chest and lets out a soft sigh.

"Too soon to tell..."

"Sh… she was my angel… a… and sh… she saved me. You... t...take care of her..."

Just then Jenny returns and they both fall silent. She doesn't notice the sudden silence when she enters and smiles as she sits on the opposite side of the bed. She points to his right hand and cheerfully asks, "Hey, Andy, do you feel up to showing Gibbs what you can do with your right hand now?"

Andy nods and lifts his hand up as he turns his fingers upwards. It takes him a long time, but he manages to touch his thumb to each of his four fingers one direction and then back down again. When he is done he sighs in relief as his hand falls limp back to the bed. Gibbs smiles and teases, "Great! You can count to four."

"No… not yet… too … m… much work."

"We better get going so you can get some rest. I'll come by tomorrow morning."

Andy just smiles tiredly, but when Gibbs stands up to leave he calls out weakly to him, "Gi...Gibbs... P… promise?"

Gibbs turns back to him, bends close so they are eye to eye, and studies him for a moment before he seriously whispers, "You got my word."

Andy smiles tiredly and his eyes are already drooping when Gibbs stands up again. Jenny wonders what that was all about, but doesn't want to pry as she follows Gibbs out into the hallway. Gibbs places his hand on the small of her back and she feels a tingle of excitement race through her. She tries to keep her mind off what his touch is doing to her as they step into the elevator.

"Sounded like Andy was pretty serious in there. I hope he isn't imposing on you."

Gibbs smiles, "Nope, just asked me to do something for him."

"Oh, really? What's that?" Gibbs doesn't answer her right away and when she looks up at him she can see the serious set of his mouth. She blushes, suddenly realizes she is prying, "Oh... its personal."

"Very personal."

"Sorry… I didn't mean to pry." She turns back to face the front of the car. She is left feeling unsettled... not sure of the boundaries of their new relationship.

He smiles and gently turns her back to face him. With his hands on her shoulders he softly admits, "Wanted me to promise to take care of you."

"Me?!"

"You're his angel... he wants you happy."

"...and you said… you'd do that?" This was not what she expected and can't believe Gibbs had actually agreed to such a request.

"Absolutely..." He gently strokes her hair back as he draws her closer and she is once again spellbound by his eyes. She is further shocked by his admission as his mouth comes closer to her own. The kiss is intense, but brief and when he pulls back Gibbs can see the confusion in her eyes. They move apart as the doors open and he escorts her out and quietly suggests, "Maybe you shouldn't wear lipstick to work anymore."

* * *

Gibbs is studying her cautiously, wondering what she is thinking. Her expression keeps going from a smile to a frown, making it difficult to decide how she feels about this new twist in their lives. Technically it is wrong for them to be in a relationship, since he was her boss, but for the first time, he doesn't really care about the rules. He is only the interim director and it won't last forever; but for now he'll do anything in his power to keep her. He momentarily considers ignoring the rules, but he's never gone against NCIS rules... or his own. He finally sighs and says the words he knows are right, but feel so wrong.

"Jen, don't need to tell you this is a strange situation we're in."

"No kidding. So, go ahead and give me the speech about policy and rules and how wrong this is." She has been preparing herself for this ever since they kissed in the elevator this morning.

"It's not wrong! It's just bad timing." Gibbs doesn't like the resignation he hears in her voice.

"Bad timing? That's an understatement! I get caught by one of my team… kissing my boss… in an elevator... at work! Tell me, does the timing get any better?"

Gibbs takes several deep breaths to control his rising frustration at her words. He takes a sip of coffee and then replies to her sarcastic evaluation. "Jen, yea... that was embarrassing… and we were lucky it was just Joe standing there, but it's not the end of the world."

"I know it isn't and I trust Joe not to say anything, but this whole situation seems to be spiraling out of my control. I can't go around kissing my boss all the time!"

"Why not?" He grins at her over the rim of his cup, but she refuses to let him make light of it.

"Very funny. Because you're my boss. That's why we can't let this continue."

Gibbs knows she is right, but everything inside him fights against that logic. He wants to take her in his arms and hold her forever, but the policies and work stand in the way. He finally leans forward, lowering his voice so only she can hear him.

"Don't want to lose you... think we could have something very special, but…"

"...but you're the director and it's against departmental policy for us to fraternize. I know Gibbs, I understand that."

"But do you agree with it?"

Jenny hesitates before she answers him; spending a long moment staring into his eyes before she too leans forward and honestly replies, "From a professional standpoint, yes I do. But on a personal basis I wish I could follow my heart."

"And what does your heart tell you?" He reaches across the table to take her hand in his. She stares at their hands for a moment and then looks up as she smiles at him.

"I've never met a man like you, Gibbs, and I doubt I ever will again."

He grins and gives her hand a gentle squeeze as he jokes, "Okay... that's good, right?" When she only frowns at his joke, he becomes serious again. "Forget about work. Forget about rules… just tell me… do you want this to work?"

"I don't think I want to consider a life without you in it now." She raises his hand to her lips and kisses his knuckles tenderly.

He sits quietly, watching her with a smile on his face. He squeezes her hand gently and when her eyes meet his he huskily admits his true feelings. "I don't care about rules... I care about you, Jen."

"But you're my boss, Gibbs. I can't ignore that and I won't let you do it either. I won't put us in that position."

"Doesn't mean we can't be friends... for now. I won't always be your boss. I'll transfer as soon as they find a permanent director."

They both knew an interim position could last up to two years. She pulls her hand away from his and sits back sadly as she lowers her eyes. Gibbs can see the fear and pain slides around the booth until he is sitting beside her. She looks up nervously, then quickly lowers her eyes again, but he stops her by placing his fingers under her chin. He raises her eyes back to his as he lowers his mouth to hers. He kisses her with such sweet intensity that she feels his strength, his love pouring into her soul. She moans softly and returns his caress with all the love in her heart. They spend long minutes lost in soft romantic kisses until they are both breathless and aching for more.

Jenny finally pulls back to pant breathlessly, "How can something that feels so right be so wrong?"

"It's not wrong... we just have to be patient."

"And what if I'm not good at being patient? What if I can't be... just your friend?" They both know what she is referring to... and it won't be a problem just for her.

"Then I'll do everything in my power to get replaced here sooner." He kisses her again and this time she reaches desperately into the embrace like a person starving. Gibbs gives her the reassurance she needs and holds her close as each kiss melts into the next.

After several minutes Jenny finally draws back to nibble on his jaw, moving slowly towards his ear. "What if I were to move? I can leave now."

"No... you've worked too hard for this assignment."

She draws back to look up at him with serious eyes as she strokes her hand along his jaw. "I'd..." She stops herself, short of telling him she'd give it all up for him. Instead, she guides his mouth back to hers, kissing him with such passion that he is the one to moan huskily before he draws back, afraid his passion will rage out of control.

He kisses her lightly several times in between his husky words. "Mmnn... just try being friends... for a while."

"Okay, but we need to get one thing settled up front. If we're going to be friends, we're gonna have to stop kissing like this… friends don't kiss … like … this…"

As she speaks he begins to place teasing kisses on her mouth, interrupting her words until she loses track of her thought. His mouth lowers to hers again in a deep searching kiss that seems endless and Jenny allows herself to get lost in them one last time. She finally forces herself to sit back, putting distance between them as she takes a deep breath to calm down.

"So... do friends get to have dinner together… or should I leave now?"

"You're not leaving… I drove. Let's just order dinner." He smiles at her as he scoots back over to his side of the booth in order to put some distance between them to maintain his calm. As he reaches for his coffee she also lifts her cup. He taps her mug with his in a toast as he says, "To friends."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Since her car is still at the office Gibbs insists on driving her home. He will then pick her up again in the morning for the drive to work. She is leery of his offer, but finally agrees when he insists they won't be seen coming in to work together that early. On the way she keeps wondering if this is just some ploy to get her alone. Once home, he walks her to her apartment door and she is torn between hoping he'll kiss her good night and remembering their new 'friendship rules'. Her hand is shaking as she unlocks the door and she hopes he doesn't notice.

"So, was this a date or just dinner between friends?"

"Did it feel like dinner with a friend to you?"

"I never kiss friends over dinner. Come to think of it, I've never kissed my boss before either."

"Setting new trends?"

There is a long silence as Gibbs casually leans on the door jamb directly in front of her. They are only inches apart, but reluctant to touch. Jenny finally gets up the nerve to trace one finger down the front of his shirt, slowly from button to button.

"So, if this was just a friends thing I couldn't kiss you goodnight, could I?"

"Nope."

"But, if this were a date…"

"We wouldn't be discussing this on your doorstep."

"But... you could give me one last kiss to remember during our new friendship."

"That's right, 'cause after tonight…"

She steps closer and her arms curve seductively around his neck as she brings her mouth to his in a deeply sensuous kiss. She uses every bit of her expertise to arouse him as she presses her body seductively against his, pressing him back against the door frame. Gibbs groans huskily as his hands curve down over her perfectly rounded bottom. His mouth becoming rough in his frustration to devour every inch of her. She moans and slowly grinds against the hardness of his desire, letting herself forget this was just a goodnight kiss. With a growl, Gibbs spins them around, suddenly trapping her against the wall as his hips slam into hers. A loud moan escapes her as a tremor races through her. They spend long minutes kissing and touching until a door closing down the hall has him maneuvering her inside for more privacy. She finally forces herself to pull back, panting softly as her green eyes give him a completely different message than the words she forces out.

"Goodnight, boss."

It takes a moment for her words to sink in and he forces his heated body to step back, but only so he isn't pressing her into the wall. If they are to stand a chance of making this work, they have to wait until he is no longer her boss. He takes several deep breaths and presses her hips to his one last time, thrusting gently as he growls deep in his throat. Her eye lids flutter in response. Gibbs wants only to carry her off to her bed and knows she wouldn't resist him. She opens her eyes to see his mouth descending on hers again and knows she will be lost if he kisses her again. She maintains her control as she pushes him back and shakes her head. He sighs reluctantly and takes her hand in his as he steps back.

He kisses it gently and then huskily says, "Night, Jen. Pick you up at oh-six-hundred." He leaves quickly, not trusting himself to stay there another moment.

* * *

By the next morning Jenny is convinced they are making a big mistake. There is no way she can be just friends with a man who could turn her into a quivering mass of desire with a look or a kiss. She didn't sleep at all because every time she closed her eyes she relived every kiss over and over again. She finally came to the conclusion that if her body craved him this desperately now, she would probably not survive their first time together. She desperately tries to put this whole crazy idea out of her head and focus. She was already running late this morning when she hears the doorbell ring and her heart skips a beat. She forces herself to walk slowly to answer the door so he won't think she's been anxiously awaiting his arrival. She opens the door to him, but immediately turns away.

"Hi, I'll just be a few minutes."

She is hurrying towards the stairs when Gibbs suddenly grabs her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. She is on the first step as she turns back to face him, at eye level and entirely too close for comfort. Gibbs studies her for a long moment and then firmly curves his hand around her neck to draw her mouth to his. He kisses her with a slow tenderness that takes her breath away.

"Hi. Now where's the coffee?"

He releases her and she shakily points down the hall towards the kitchen. He turns to go, leaving her stunned as she wonders what happened to their plan to just be friends. She finally pulls herself together and hurries upstairs to finish getting ready. His behavior just re-enforces her worries that they are making a big mistake.

A few minutes later she finds him sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee. She pours herself a cup and turns to face him as she takes a deep breath and sternly confronts him. "I thought we decided to wait… or did I misunderstand that whole talk last night?"

"We did... couldn't help myself."

"Well, try harder, okay? This is going to be hard enough without you breaking the rules every time you feel like it."

"Didn't break it… just bent... I missed you."

"No more bending, understood?" Jenny tries to be stern, but smiles at his pouting face and can't stay angry at him. She steps closer and runs her fingers through his hair as she admits, "I didn't sleep last night either. Now let's get going, okay? I want to be there before anyone else arrives."

"Okay, boss."

* * *

They manage to transform themselves back into the professionals they are once they reach the office. As the day goes on Gibbs hardly seems to notice her and she never gives him another thought as they go about their duties. Fortunately for them, this Monday morning is very busy with a never-ending list of problems to handle. It is mid-afternoon before Jenny even realizes she hasn't had lunch yet. She wonders if Gibbs has eaten, but then forces that thought from her head. It would only take a matter of days before the whole unit knew there was something going on.

She sighs heavily. What exactly was going on? What are she and Gibbs to one another, anyway? She can't say they're a couple, but they're more involved than just friends. She gets up to stretch her legs and decides to take a break; after her sleepless night she could use some caffeine so she heads down the hall towards the break room. She buys a soda and then stands staring blindly out the window as she slowly sips the cold drink. She is so deep in thought she doesn't see Joe come up behind her and jumps as he softly speaks.

"Do I win a prize if I guess who you're thinking about?"

"Oh! God Joe, you scared me. What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?"

"You were a million miles away, weren't you?"

"I was just going over the tip we received this morning from Marseille about a possible terrorist cell in the area."

"Sure you were."

"Don't go there, Joe."

"All right… but I know what I saw." He is standing beside her, both pairs of eyes scanning the scene outside.

"You saw nothing. He's my boss and that's it." Jenny grips her soda can a bit tighter, realizing how lame her words sound.

"Was that decided before or after that little elevator scene?"

Jenny can't stop the blush from appearing on her cheeks and sighs softly, "After… and…"

"I know... mind my own damned business." He pauses and then gently bumps his shoulder against hers. "But Gibbs is a great guy."

There is a long pause as Jenny stares down at her soda for several seconds. She finally sighs, breaking into a secretive smile as her eyes again meet his. "Joe… I was going to ask you to keep it quiet... for obvious reasons. As long as Gibbs is my boss we're strictly friends."

"Okay. Now can we discuss business?" She rolls her eyes as he lets her know that he understands her need to talk. "We've got a lead on that case from last week... the load of heroin coming into Toulon Harbor is supposed to be Thursday afternoon. I'm gonna meet with Reistard over at French Naval Intelligence to see what they know about it."

"I could use some fresh air, I'll come with you. Has the director been briefed yet?"

"Nope, thought you might want to do that." His innocent smile doesn't fool her.

She gives him a warning glare and heads back to the office area to grab her file. She heads into her boss's office to notify Gibbs of the information, and their meeting with their French counterparts. He resists the urge to come along with them and merely holds her gaze captive for a long moment before his eyes drop once more to the report in front of him. She saw his hesitation, but can't help being disappointed at his dismissal. Understanding his need to keep his distance at work, Jenny hesitates a moment before stepping around his desk to stand beside him. When he looks up, the smoldering need is back and she slowly traces her fingers through the hair at his temple. His eyes flutter closed for a moment as he enjoys her caress.

"Jen. How am I supposed to keep..." Her fingers curl under his chin to tilt his head up for her brief kiss.

"You're not...besides, if you can bend the rules, so can I, right?"

And with a grin, she spins around and heads for the door; leaving Gibbs to wonder what he's gotten himself into with this fiery redhead.

* * *

Andy was finally deemed stable enough to be transferred to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany for treatment and evaluation before his long flight home to the United States. Landstuhl is the US Military's premier trauma center for wounded soldiers in all of Europe and the Middle East, so Gibbs and Jenny knew he would be in good hands. Jenny still carries around the guilt of his injury, but she hides it well and tries to focus on her job and her team... and on Gibbs when she allows herself that luxury.

Jenny still insists they avoid any contact at work, but Gibbs insists on taking her to lunch at least once or twice a month… to discuss work, of course. But when she is in her lonely apartment, she waits anxiously for the phone calls from him each night. With his hectic schedule as director, sometimes they come early, and other times he wakes her up in the middle of the night. He always apologizes for waking her, but she doesn't mind. She needs to hear his voice as much as he does hers. They talk quietly about anything that comes to mind and a whole new side of him opens up to her. When he talks like this, honest and open, she has to keep reminding herself not to fall in love with him. Each phone call eventually turns to more pressing needs and on more than one occasion, their calls have ended with them both panting and spent after intense phone sex.

She worries daily about how this is quickly coming to a boil, but tries not to let it cloud her judgment... even though she has been dreaming about him almost nightly. She smiles as she recalls fragments of those dreams; images of a green yard... small children playing... happily ever after visions. Jenny knows it is all fantasy and worries that something will go wrong if she allows herself to believe it might come true. But for now, she keeps her fears to herself and tries to maintain control around him. What if they are finally able to be together and he loses interest? What if she discovers something about him that turns her away? What if these months of friendship turn out to be a waste of time?

They soon fall into a routine over the next several weeks as they get back to the work at hand. Jenny's lead on the drugs being funneled in for distribution to The US Air Force Base at Istres, France was becoming a solid investigation. The source of the incoming drugs was someone onboard a US ship out of the Naples, Italy Naval Base. There were two ships that routinely made stops at the French Naval Base in Toulon, France as part of their security patrols around the Mediterranean. Those two ships were the USS Ardent MCM12 and her sister ship, the USS Dextrous MCM13; both destroyer class, mine countermeasure sweepers. The two ships patrolled the coasts together, seeking out hidden mines and the enemy submarines that place them in the paths of other unsuspecting ships in the area. The USS Dextrous had been in dry dock for repairs the past two months in Naples, but the USS Ardent had continued on its duties and had recently returned from conducting mine sweeps in the Arabian Gulf.

Lucky for Jenny's team, this narrowed their possible suspect pool to the crew of the USS Ardent. Each MCM ship had a total crew of only eighty sailors on board. That was a much more manageable number than if their target had been an aircraft carrier whose crew numbered closer to five thousand. With the USS Ardent due to dock at the French Naval Base in Toulon on Thursday, her team has to be in place and ready to move before they allow the crew off for its brief shore leave. The Ardent will only be docked there for six hours to refuel so if their guy was going to make a move... it was going to be quick.

The information they have received from their anonymous source on board the Ardent, was that their guy was an engineer, who planned to offload the heroin he picked up in Bahrain, drive it up to Marseille where he would meet his connections. Since it was only sixty-five kilometers from Toulon to Marseille, the drive could easily be made in under an hour. The main route was the A50 motorway through the small town of Aubagne. Agent Shepard and her team planned to be there, waiting for the crew to come ashore, then follow this engineer all the way to his connection in Marseille. That way, they could take off both their Navy suspect, and hopefully identify the guy who was supplying the drugs to the Air Force Base at Istres, another hour's drive northwest Marseille.

* * *

Gibbs sits at his desk, trying hard to remember he is the director and not the team leader organizing this mission. He sighs silently as he listens to Agent Shepard and her team giving him a briefing on how they planned to locate the engineer, follow him to Marseille and find out who his connections are. When there is a lull in the discussion, he leans forward to clarify one important point.

"How many engineers does the USS Ardent have on board?"

"Fifteen... not counting the apprentice engineers." Joe is quick to answer his question.

"We're not counting them... why?"

"The apprentices aren't granted shore leave on this short stopover in Toulon. Only senior personnel are allowed off, with the exception of one to supervise those left on board."

"And of the fifteen..."

"Fourteen." Jenny quietly interjects the correction in her boss's statement with a smile; knowing where his questions are going.

"Of the fourteen engineers getting off the Ardent in Toulon... how are you going to identify the one with the heroin?"

"He'll be carrying a black backpack with red piping. The drugs will be in the backpack... according to our informant, who is onboard the Ardent."

"And this informant is reliable? Identified?" Gibbs has a bad feeling about this mission in his gut, but writes it off as his uneasiness at not being in charge of the mission.

"We believe it's the third watch radio operator, Petty Officer Danville Patterson. All of our communications are sent at night and he obviously has access to the radio room and the encryption protocols."

"Give me a run down on your team assignments." He sits back again, satisfied with their intel.

"Joe and I will fly to Marseille today, rent a car and drive to Toulon. Spend the night there and scout the area for the morning. The Ardent doesn't dock until close to noon so we'll have plenty of time to get set up. Ned and Walter will also fly into Marseille, but they'll make the hour drive up to Istres Air Base and coordinate with the CID agents there to monitor who decides to take a drive off base. Then they'll follow them south along the A55 motorway to the meeting in Marseille."

"What if your connection from Istres has already left the base?"

"I'd rather not split up Ned and Walter. I guess I can leave Joe in Marseille while I head down to Toulon." She stands up to go and her team follows her lead.

They are all heading for the door when Gibbs suddenly stands up, "Shepard... I need a moment."

The others continue out and Joe closes the door with a slight smirk on his face, but inside the room Gibbs is nothing but serious.

"Not alone, Jen. I don't want you going to Toulon alone. I'll get you another agent." His gaze holds hers and she knows he is concerned for her safety.

She watches as he comes around his desk towards her, knowing what he intends to do. She forces herself remain calm and not throw herself into his arms as warmth spreads through her. When his lips meet hers she moans softly and surrenders to the demanding pressure of his need. Her lips part and suddenly a floodgate of pent-up passion rushes forth as their kisses become harsh and greedy. His arms are like steel bands around her, pinning her against his hard male form as he tries to mesh them together. When the need for air finally brings their kiss to an end, his sparkling blue eyes convey the passion he has kept so tightly under control these past weeks.

She feels the same, but knows they are still not free to explore this mutual desire yet. She leans in for one last kiss, gentle and reassuring before she steps back. "Okay." Jenny turns to go, and it dawns on her she isn't angry over his insistence that she needs help on a simple surveillance. She smirks as she heads back to prepare for their trip to the south of France.

Gibbs reluctantly stands his ground as she retreats from him, fighting the nagging of his gut and frustration over his options to control the situation.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Their flight down from Paris had been uneventful and they were careful not to attract attention by exiting the plane all in one group. She got off first and went to the rental car booth to secure two vehicles. Joe got off with their surveillance gear and went out front as if waiting for a ride. Walter and Ned were dressed like a couple of tourists in plaid shorts and t-shirts with cameras around their necks. No one watching would have suspected the four were a highly trained NCIS undercover team.

Gibbs had told her he would have another agent waiting for her in Toulon, which made her a bit edgy. She didn't like working Ops with someone she didn't know. She fights down the nagging worry in her gut and gives her team their last instructions before grabbing her rental car and heading south. Walter and Ned were heading in the opposite direction; north to Istres Air Base to meet with base security. In the meantime, Joe would do what he does best, blend into the Marseille nightlife and see where the local drug scene was happening.

The drive to Toulon takes a little longer than anticipated since she purposely drove slow to enjoy the scenery. She'd been in Europe for two years now on this assignment, but she still liked the south of France the best. By the time she arrives in town, the sun is low in the afternoon sky. She locates the small Inn within walking distance of the bay where she will have no trouble knowing when the USS Ardent arrived in port.

Grabbing her overnight bag from the back seat, she leaves the car in the small parking lot and heads in to register. Halfway across the small lobby she stops, staring at the last person she expected to see in Toulon. He is seated in the lobby, casually reading a French newspaper as any other man here on business might do. When her eyes meet Gibbs' he slowly folds the paper and sets it aside as a smirk curls the corner of his mouth. He makes no move to join her and gives a subtle motion of his head towards the lounge that is located on the opposite side of the small lobby.

She pulls herself together and casually walks into the lounge where she finds a seat at the corner of the bar where they will have some privacy. Setting her bag at her feet, she settles into her seat as she gives the bartender her order. "Vin rougé, Merci."

A few minutes later, Gibbs takes the seat beside her and orders a bourbon before turning his attention to her. "Have a nice drive?"

She is just about to tell him all what she thinks when Gibbs casually lays his arm across her shoulders, kissing her lightly. She is stunned and before she can react he calmly lowers his voice to explain. "I'm your extra agent."

When she doesn't answer he takes a sip of his drink and watches as she grabs her own, taking large sip of her wine. The liquor helps clear her mind so she can focus. Gibbs just grins, wondering if she needs false courage or something to calm her anger... from the look on her face it was anger.

"Before you blow up... I'm just here to help... with the case."

"I'm not angry, Gibbs, but why you... I mean... you're the director." She keeps her voice low so they won't be overheard.

"Not anymore. New director arrived and officially took over the reins today. I've been demoted back to team leader."

"And the new director sent you here to what... take over the operation? Supervise so I don't screw it all up?!"

"Director Penrod didn't send me... I told him you needed another agent and I volunteered."

"So you don't think I can handle it on my own! Thanks a lot!"

"Jen! I'm not here to take over... here to help. You're still in charge... all right?" He again leans in, lowering his voice, but to others in the room it's obvious they are having a lover's quarrel. She takes another drink from her glass and this time takes a deep breath to calm herself. He downs the remainder of his drink before continuing, "And for the record... you're capable of running the mission... I just..."

"What?"

"My gut... been bothering me since the briefing... something's not right... and another set of experienced eyes along can't hurt."

"Your gut?" She finally relaxes and turns in her seat so she is facing him now. She studies him, looking for any sign he isn't being honest with her, but finds none. She has been having similar feelings of unease, but couldn't put her finger on what exactly was bothering her about this mission.

"Yeah... never been wrong yet."

His small smirk brings a smile to her face and she finally admits, "Your gut is on to something. I had the same feeling and spent the drive here trying to figure out what's out of place."

He orders another drink and she holds up her fingers to the bartender for two of the same. Tonight, wine just wasn't going to do it for her and since meeting Gibbs, she's developed a taste for the harsher sipping whiskey he preferred.

"But don't think this changes anything, Jethro." She is glad to have him with her on this, but wants him to know she is in charge.

"What?" He takes a sip of his new drink, then tosses some bills to the bartender to pay for them, giving the man a generous tip.

"I mean this doesn't give you the okay to... go around kissing me." She glances around to make sure no one is close enough to overhear. Before she can finish her sentence he hands her the second glass and leans over to quickly kiss her cheek.

"Damn you, Gibbs... we can't..."

"Not your boss any more Jen..." They stare at each other, his eyes narrowed and daring her to argue. He finally grabs her bag and turns her towards the door. "Come on, we need to talk... in private."

Taking her through the lobby, she expects him to head to the registration desk. Instead, Gibbs stops at the bell desk to drop her bag off and give the man instructions to have it delivered to room sixteen. Then he leads her outside and they slowly walk down the cobbled street with drinks in hand towards the shoreline. It is dark and warm outside, a perfect night for a walk, but neither of them seems to notice. They walk for a short distance until Jenny stops by a low wall that separates the street from the narrow strip of beach. Leaning on the wall, she looks out over water, rippling with moonlight.

Gibbs watches her for a few moments, then drains his glass and sets it on the wall. He comes up directly behind her as his arms brace on the wall on either side of her, imprisoning her. "God you smell good."

She tenses, but doesn't resist as he leans in to press his chest to her back. He slowly moves her hair aside so he can nibble on her throat and her breath stills in her chest. He expertly teases her with his lips, moving slowly up to her ear. She tilts her head to allow him better access as her eyes drift shut to enjoy his caress. He nuzzles her ear and fans his hot breath over her sensitive skin. When his tongue flicks out to tease her she moans softly and leans into his solid warmth. She loses herself in his caress and the mission is momentarily forgotten as his hands come to rest on her hips, pressing her body closer still. Jenny feels her nipples harden as his hot breath precedes his teeth nipping her earlobe and his husky growl, "Want you so bad…"

Suddenly realizing where this is heading, she starts to pull away from him. She needed to concentrate on the mission... but he stops her. Spinning her around as his mouth finds hers with expert precision. She can't resist the urgency of his kisses and her protest dies in a soft moan as she surrenders to him. They spend long minutes lost in intensely passionate kisses as his bourbon tinted tongue boldly explores hers. She can feel the hard length of his desire and glides her hips slowly back and forth across his as she teasingly sucks on his tongue. He groans roughly and pulls back to draw in deep raspy breaths, looking down at her with blazing eyes.

Gibbs finally regains control and steps back to arms length as a laughing couple, who's obviously had too much to drink, staggers past them, bumping into Gibbs as they go. Trusting no one, he gives the couple a suspicious glance as they continue on their way. He realizes they need to calm down a bit. Making love on the streets of Marseille was appealing, but at this time of evening there were still too many people milling about. And what they needed to discuss was best not overheard. "Let's walk along the beach."

"A walk?"

"Yeah..." He just laughs at her frustrated frown and leads her around the small wall.

He stops to slip his shoes and socks off and turn up his cuffs. He tosses them at the base of the low wall and she follows his example, leaving her legs bare below the hemline of her mid-thigh skirt. He takes her hand and they head off towards the water. Walking for some time in silence, just enjoying the night sounds and the feel of the water lapping around their feet. Arm in arm, far from everyone, they finally discuss the plan and what he anticipates could go wrong. By the time they turn around and head get back it is dark and the foot traffic has disappeared from the streets. Jenny has to admit he is more experienced in this type of operation and his input has been valuable. Her ambition to prove herself as an NCIS agent would have ensured this mission was a success, but now she feels the burden of stress lifted.

By the time they reach the low wall where they left their shoes, they have sand caked to their damp feet from walking into the surf along the way. He jerks his head towards the low wall and then turns her to face him as he lifts her up onto it. They are now face to face and she is surprised when he steps in between her knees and tilts her chin up to tenderly kiss her.

"Been hell these past weeks, Jenny."

With that he steps back and slides his hand down under her bare knee, lifting her lower leg so he can brush the sand from it. She sits quietly, watching his gentle hands moving over her legs and feet as he moves from on to the other. Her heart rate seems to beat faster with each caress of his hands. He is so close that when he bends down to reach for her shoes, she can't resist the urge to run her fingers through is hair.

He doesn't move as her fingers glide into his hair and a low moan escapes her as she gently presses his head against her inner thigh. It is useless to deny her desire when her whole body is screaming out in agony for him. Her hand gently holds his head against her for a moment before he turns to press his face into her.

He places light kisses from her knee to the hem of her skirt, causing her to gasp softly as his lips trail seductively over her inner thigh. He growls huskily as his hand glides up her bare leg, gripping her short skirt. His fingers curl into the fabric, easing it up, but her hand comes to stop him, covering his. She grips his hand about to stop him, but then shifts her weight and helps him ease the material higher up around her hips. Gibbs places one hot wet kiss on her newly exposed skin before standing up to see the desire glowing in her eyes.

His hands grip her hips, moving the skirt up as she again adjusts her weight to help him. Then he steps closer, bringing his hips into contact with hers at the wall's edge. Her eyes sparkle at this new contact and she has to tilt her head back to look up into his dark eyes now. He slowly bends to kiss her, gently at first and she responds with an eager moan as his mouth becomes more demanding. Her hands glide up his arms, over his shoulders as she loops them around his neck, drawing him in closer as one kiss blends into the next until they are lost in their own private world. With slow, romantic kisses, they express their passion fully and freely for the first time. Each kiss searingly desperate, until they are both breathless and aching for more.

When they finally part to pant for breath Jenny lays her head on his shoulder with her lips pressing against his throat. His pulse is pounding under her lips as she breathes in his sexy male scent; not caring about anything except her need for him. Jenny tries to lean back, putting space between them, but his arms curl firmly around her to hold her in place. She doesn't really try too hard to move away as her hand lays over his broad muscular chest.

He feels her relax as she finally finds her voice. "We should go..."

"No." The husky refusal leaves no room for discussion.

She continues to kiss his throat, moving up to nuzzle behind his ear as a tremor shakes him. His hands grip handfuls of her skirt as he slowly tugs her hips forward until she is perched on the edge of the wall with her exposed sex pressed against the hard ridge of his desire. Her head falls back and his intense gaze holds her prisoner as his thumb slips in between them to glide over her damp panties. A soft moan escapes her as the friction over her sensitive core almost sends her over the edge.

All thoughts of leaving disappear as she is overcome with the need to feel him, right here, right now. Skin on skin, moving against her... moving inside her. His caress slows as her hands slip between them, finding his belt and quickly removing the barriers to what she wants. As her hand slips inside to bring his hard shaft out into the night air, his gaze falters as his eyes flutter closed on a low groan of pleasure. When they open, his eyes drop to watch the seductive motion as she strokes him slowly. His arms encircle her, holding her steady on her perch as she draws her legs up around his hips, drawing him into hard contact with her.

He once again begins moving against the soft, damp satin of her panties, this time with his hard, throbbing shaft; wanting to break through to his goal. Jenny moans with each stroke and curls one hand up around his neck to draw him down for a hot, wet kiss that is filled with intensity and desire. Her other hand slips between them, moving the fabric aside and expose the hot, moist flesh beneath.

He stops for a moment, loving the wet heat of her sex against his cock, and fights hard to control the urge to drive his shaft home where it aches to be. They sit motionless for a moment, gasping softly in the silence of the night around them. Jenny can see the question in his eyes and leans in to nip at his lower lip, moaning softly to give him his answer.

"Mmmnnn... I'm on the pill... aahh!" His response is sudden and decisive as she cries out hoarsely.

He thrusts into her firmly, stopping only when his cock is buried inside her, then stands still, his brow resting against hers as the intense pleasure ripples through him at this first contact. "Oohh... sweet Jesus."

She holds him close, kissing him several times in slow, intense caresses as the surf serenades them; to build their passion without moving. Gibbs' arms tighten on her waist as he suddenly draws back to thrust deeply again. She cries out as she is flooded by intense sensations that leave her whimpering softly with each thrust of his shaft. She finally breaks the kiss to pant softly in his ear, "Mmmnnn... so good..."

Her husky words excite him and he growls as he nips her throat several times. She shivers and rolls her head back as he nibbles his way back up to her lips again. He kisses her roughly and she eagerly sucks on his tongue in rhythm with his powerful thrusts until he is trembling in response. After several minutes of intense kisses and slow, steady thrusts her knees curl up along his back as she arches back and moans desperately.

Her eyes meet the smoky blue of his as the tremors roll through her. "Oohh, Jen… you're so tight…" He suddenly thrusts hard and deep, holding her gaze as he gives it all to her, holding nothing back.

Her body arches as she cries out softly; overwhelmed by intense sensations she never knew existed. Her quick panting breaths urge him on in a husky whisper, "It's so good… mmnn… yes… harder… aahh!"

He obeys and begins to thrust hard and fast; lifting her up to his thrusts and his excitement soars as she huskily cries out with each thrust. He is beyond control as he rams into her; fingers curling into her flesh as her entire body trembles. He continues to thrust, riding her orgasm as she is flooded by sensations so intense it takes her breath away. Her cries are muffled as his mouth claims hers in a harsh, demanding kiss as he groans huskily and rigid against her. He holds her hips off the wall, tight against his, jerking with the intense aftershocks. He can't even gasp for breath as he breaks the kiss to drop his head to her shoulder.

He has never experienced such an intense orgasm before and he is barely able to stay standing as he leans heavily into her, totally drained. He finally sighs and relaxes enough to lower her back onto the wall, allowing her to hold him trembling and weak in her arms. Each time he moves, thrusting gently, she moans as new waves of pleasure flicker deep inside her. They stay together, silent and satisfied, for several minutes as Jenny places tender kisses along his throat. She holds him close until his weak legs can once again support him.

His breathing finally comes back to normal and sanity has returned as he winks and she smiles in return. Her fingers curl into his damp hair as she guides his mouth down to hers in a slow, sensuous kiss that takes his breath away. When she releases him, she strokes her finger along his jaw and playfully asks, "Now can we go back to the hotel?"


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

He loved the way she melted at his touch, wanting him as much as he wanted her. He had never been so obsessed with a woman before, but it was more than that… he wanted to please her, hear her moan at his touch, see her smile with that love shining in her eyes. He knew this was the woman who could finally fill the empty void in his life.

"Just say it..." Trying hard to keep the smirk from his face and failing, he dipped his head to trail kisses across her shoulder.

"Jethro... really? Don't you think it's a bit chauvinist?" She pushes him back, but he refuses to move off of her.

"Nope. You're gonna be sayin 'yes, dear' a lot." His eyes come up to meet hers and his amusement is obvious.

"Hey! Don't make me grab my gun..." She punches him in the shoulder and he just chuckles and lowers his head to her throat.

He nibbles his way to the sensitive spot he discovered just below her ear. "Wanna hear you say 'Yes, dear, I need you' and 'Yes, dear, love me' or 'Yes, dear, that feels so good… please don't stop'."

She shivers at his husky words whispered in her ear and feels the awakening need aching inside her again. She moans softly and curls her arms up around his neck, repeating the motion with her legs as she presses his hips closer and softly teases, "Yes, dear... now shut up and love me... again."

Gibbs growls huskily and takes her in a hungry kiss as he slowly slips his hand under her knee, lifting her as he suddenly draws away and flips her onto her belly. She gasps in surprise and then purrs as his lips begin a slow exploration down her spine. She stares into the fireplace as it crackles softly across the small room, smug in his eager compliance. He stops when he reaches the perfectly rounded globes of her ass and playfully nips each one in turn as his hands knead their softness. She giggles softly, but makes no move to stop him; too content after their long night of loving. As his tongue darts out to trace designs on her sensitive skin, it pebbles in response when he moves closer to the crease. He spreads her legs gently to settle in between them and she moans softly.

His mouth dips lower, finding his goal and causing her to squirm as her hips arch up, opening up to his hungry mouth. He growls and buries his face as he plunges his tongue inside her hungrily seeking the heat as his cock twitches in anticipation. When she is panting loudly and holding her hips up to him, he rises to his knees and positions his cock along the slick entrance. He hesitates as she rocks back, trying to impale herself on his shaft, but he holds back. With a desperate moan she expresses her frustration, "Jethro... please!"

"Yes, dear..." and with a satisfied smirk, he grips her hips and drives his shaft slowly back in where it belongs.

Her moan of satisfaction as she arches back into him is so hot, he has to fight for control. He watches her, head and shoulders flat on the rumpled sheet, red hair a tangled mass around her head with her ass raised in silent offering to him. Gibbs takes a moment to memorize this image, knowing he will never see anything so sexy ever again. His hands glide up her satiny back, stroking her as he settles her impatient rocking. When she calms to lay still before him, he finally grips her hips and begins to move; slow and steady. Determined to enjoy every moment, he has to grit his teeth when her silky voice paints an erotic picture in his mind.

"Mmmnnn... feels so good... can feel you... so deep, in my belly..." Her hand moves back to find his and guide it around to her lower belly. Pressing his palm flat into her as she rocks back into his thrust to let him feel it for himself.

Gibbs feels his cock pressing out against his hand, amazed at how huge he feels inside her small body. A rough growl escapes him, "Ohhhh, fuck... Jen... so small... "

He keeps his hand on her belly, loving the feeling of his cock moving inside her as he begins to thrust harder. She rocks her hips in rhythm with his and as his excitement grows, Gibbs begins to pull her back onto his shaft harder and harder. He is so lost in the moment that it isn't until her cry of pain breaks through to his dazed brain. He suddenly stops, looking down to see her eyes tightly closed and her lip clenched between her teeth. Breathing harshly, he struggles for control as he leans forward, brushing back her hair in concern.

"Jen... babe, did I hurt you?" He is supporting his weight on his elbow, leaning around to see her face.

Her features relax and her eyes open to reveal the sultry desire there. She licks her lips and then smiles, "No... it's just..." She doesn't want him to stop and the worried look on his face tells her that her involuntary cry had scared him. She reaches out to stroke his hand gently as she tries to explain, "You're... big and we fit... so perfectly."

He relaxes and leans further down to kiss her cheek as he smirks playfully, "Sorry..." He keeps his face close to hers, laying over her back as he begins to move slow and easy again. "Better?"

She moans softly and tilts her head, bringing her mouth to his as her tongue slips over his lips. His tongue comes out to meet hers, dueling in rhythm with his thrusting hips. It doesn't take long before they are both breathing hard again and craving more. Her hand curls around the back of his head, drawing him in to deepen the kiss. He groans, kissing her long and hard as he finally speeds as their passions race headlong towards the abyss. Throaty moans and her fingers clamped tightly in his hair relay her desperation and he finally lets go. His free hand curls tightly around her waist, holding her up as he slams into her hard and fast until they both cry out and collapse in an exhausted tangle of arms and legs.

When his mind can finally function again, gasping for air, he realizes she isn't breathing. He kisses her nose and huskily pants, "Breathe... Jen..."

As if released from a trance, her whole body shudders as she sighs long and slow, letting out the breath locked in her lungs. Her body goes limp beneath him as she moans happily and tiredly closes her eyes. Gibbs eases to her side, relieving her of his weight, but keeping one arm and leg over her to securely hold her close. His head settles next to hers as his eyes drift shut and he slips into a contented sleep, thinking he would be proud and humbled to be with her for the rest of his life.

* * *

Jenny is roused from her deep sleep by a hand, stroking gently down her back. She moans softly and tries to slip back to that place where she was dreaming about her perfect world. The insistent hand is now accompanied by a voice that is entirely too much like that of the director.

"Jenny... wake up. Time to go..." Gibbs is sitting on the side of the bed, where he's been since returning after his shower. He is dressed and ready for their mission today, but he couldn't resist watching her sleeping for a few moments more.

"Gr... mmnn... no..." Her muffled grumble at being disturbed brings a smile to his face, but they don't have time for games this morning.

"Wake up, Agent Shepard..." He leans closer, nuzzling her ear playfully, "... mission to run... bad guys to catch..."

"Sound a lot like Director Gibbs..." Awake now, she keeps her eyes closed, refusing to look at him because she knows he is grinning with satisfaction.

"Nope... just your partner. Now get your ass up!" He has slid the tangled sheet off of her body, enjoying one last look before he sharply drops his hand to her ass in a stinging smack.

Jenny yelps as she jumps, twisting around to protect herself from another smack on the ass. She is raised up on one elbow, looking adorable in her anger as she glares at Gibbs, "Damn it, Jethro!"

He just chuckles and stands up, clearly not intimidated by her temper. She glares after him and finally sits up on the edge of the bed, not bothering to cover her nakedness. After their night together, there wasn't any part of her body Jethro Gibbs hadn't fully examined, caressed and marked as his own. Her anger quickly fades as she recalls the talents of the man standing across the room sipping coffee; clean and dressed in a polo shirt and faded jeans that made her heart skip a beat.

"What time is it, anyway?"

He sips his coffee, trying not to stare at her as she stretches, arching her back and raking her fingers through her tangled hair. "ten-hundred."

"Ten-hundred!? Crap! Why did you let me sleep so late?!" She jumps up and hurries across the room towards the tiny attached bathroom; hearing his chuckle as she slams the door.

Within forty-five minutes, Jenny is showered and dressed, looking like any other tourist in her tight-fitting jeans, California surfer t-shirt and sandals. Gibbs watches her fluffing her still damp hair to help it dry faster and comes up behind her to plant a soft kiss on her temple.

"Don't even think about it... this is all your fault." She moves away from the hands that settled on her hips; knowing she doesn't have the control to resist him.

"Uh-huh..." Gibbs is surprised by her cool attitude towards him, but hides it well. He moves to the door, overnight bag in hand and hesitates with his hand on the knob. "You comin?"

Jenny grabs her bag, tossing in her last items and hurries to follow after him, a bit confused by his easy transition between lover and partner. He checks out while she grabs the European version of a continental breakfast from the tray in the lobby. Crusty bread, a variety of cheeses and dark, rich coffee for them both. Gibbs manages their bags while she carries their breakfast to the car. He drains his first cup and accepts the new one from her as she settles in and places the bag of food on the floor between her feet.

As they drive off towards the marina, it is as if their perfect night together was nothing more than a fantasy. Except for the lingering tiredness and some aching twinges to remind Jenny it had all been very real. As she sips her coffee, she repeatedly sneaks glances over at her silent partner while he finds a suitable spot to park their car where they can watch the port the Navy ship slowly make its way into port and dock.

With the engine off, the silence in the car seems much heavier and Gibbs keeps his eyes on the bay, watching the USS Ardent maneuvering closer to the pier. Jenny opens her mouth to speak a couple of times, but then stops herself; not knowing what to say that won't make her sound like a whiny, insecure girlfriend. Was that what she was? His girlfriend? His partner was his definition of earlier, but after last night she had to believe they was more than that. They had been waiting for this moment for weeks, waiting until Gibbs was no longer her boss... and now, was he having second thoughts?

She covers her nervousness by opening the sack and handing him some bread and cheese to eat while they waited for the docking procedures to be done and the crew released for their short, six-hour shore leave. Gibbs takes the offered food with a smile, noticing her nervousness and wondering if she was having regrets about their night together. She seemed to be enjoying herself last night, but this morning she wasn't exactly inviting him into her personal space.

They watch the activity on the dock for an hour before the American sailors begin filing down the gangway. Gibbs pulls out his binoculars to get a good look at them, trying to pick out the engineer with the black and red backpack. He finally sighs and holds the glasses out to her, "Problem."

Jenny takes the glasses and focuses on the small group of sailors milling around the dock. There were two with black and red backpacks; one in uniform and one in civilian clothes. Although it was not uncommon for sailors to jump at the opportunity to wear their civilian clothes, or 'civvies', at any opportunity given; most of these sailors were in uniform. The short time ashore might have something to do with it. Jenny mentally assesses the two men with the back packs, checking to make sure no others disembark with similar packs.

"Guy in uniform is definitely an engineer. Guy in civvies... can't tell, but..." She hesitates as she lowers the glasses and gives her partner a worried glance. "... he could be in civvies so he won't be recognized as a sailor when he goes to meet his connection in Marseille."

"Sounds like a lot of guess work, Agent Shepard. How you gonna choose which one we tail? Cause if you're wrong, we've wasted time and lost our guy."

His words were not angry or accusing, simply posing a question to the junior agent to see what her answer will be. He has already sketched out a plan in his head, but doesn't get a chance to tell her about it when she suddenly opens her door.

"Guess I'll just have to go ask 'em." She gets out and quickly fluffs her hair, slings her purse over her shoulder and saunters across the lot to where the sailors are dispersing in different directions for their shore leave plans. Most are on foot, but a couple head towards the rental car shop across the lot.

Gibbs watches in frustration as Jenny makes her way to the rental car shop, hanging around by the entrance until she sees the sailor in uniform with the backpack approaching. She sticks her fingers into the front pockets of her jeans, arching her breasts out a bit as she steps in front of him and plays up her best stranded tourist role.

"Hey, you're American, right?"

"Uh, yeah... just came off the Ardent over there."

"I... well... I'm sort of stranded here... boyfriend took off... jerk anyway... but I was wondering which way you're headed? Maybe I can catch a ride?"

"Which way you going? I'm headed out to the Mont Faron Monastery."

"Oh... sounds exciting... but I was actually trying to go the other way... to Aubagne. Got some friends there."

"Gee, sorry."He starts to turn away, then sees his shipmate approaching. "Hey, Doug... you're heading out towards Aubagne, right?"

The other sailor just happens to be the man in civvies with the matching black and red backpack. He looks nervously at them, wondering why they are so interested in his plans for the day. He nods and then gives them a vague answer, "Ah, yeah, kinda."

"This gal... well, she got..." The man hesitates to say she was abandoned by her boyfriend, but Jenny quickly steps closer to Doug and gives him her best embarrassed smile.

"Got dumped by my boyfriend... and I need a ride to Aubagne. You going that way?" She lowers her eyes, feigning embarrassment at her situation as she fidgets with her jeans, running her hands down over her hips. Both men watch her hands moving as they imagine their hands doing the same thing.

Doug, nervous about his true mission is swayed by the pretty redhead in the tight jeans before him. Maybe he could give her a ride... maybe see what happened along the way. "Sure... I can give you a ride."

He returns her happy smile as she claps her hands, showing her relief for this friendly American to help her. Doug turns to complete his rental paperwork while Jenny waves good-bye to the other helpful sailor as he moved away. She casually turns back to look across the parking lot towards Gibbs. She runs her fingers through her long hair, giving him a hidden wave in the process to let him know she'd identified their target.

Gibbs' is gritting his teeth as he watched her flirting; using her body to distract the two sailors as she pumped them for information. He refuses to acknowledge the twisting feeling in his chest for what it is and keeps his focus on being her back-up if needed. It isn't until Gibbs watches the man in civvies return to her and point to car nearby that he realizes what is going on.

"No... no... Jen... no...!" He helplessly calls out his warning as he watches the man open the passenger door for her. What the hell was she thinking?! Gibbs fires up the car and puts it in gear... then he stomps on the brake, realizing he can't rush in. She was working their suspect... and he couldn't interfere, even if he thought she was putting herself in danger.

Gibbs was experienced in undercover work and knew most plans were sketchy outlines at best. Things always had a way of going sideways at the most unexpected moments, but this was different. Jenny had changed the plan without telling him and he is suddenly reminded of the off the cuff remark the outgoing director had given him upon his arrival. 'Be patient with Agent Shepard's investigative style... it's a bit unorthodox, but she always got results'.

Well, if this was how she did things... putting her own life as well as the mission at jeopardy... they were gonna have a serious talk! For now, all Gibbs can do is follow the yellow Volvo as it left the lot, turning down the _Av de la Republique_ on their way towards the _Rue Robert Guillemand_ before merging onto the A50 highway on their way north to Marseille.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Gibbs follows behind a couple of cars, keeping her in sight, but far enough back not to raise suspicions. Traffic isn't too heavy today and Gibbs doesn't have much trouble keeping Jenny in sight, but what he sees about fifteen minutes into the drive has his fists clenching the steering wheel in a white knuckled grip.

Jenny leans close to Doug Kirkland, the driver and lays her hand on the back of the seat behind him. She is chatting with him and every few moments moves a bit closer until her hand is tickling the hairs at the back of his neck. As if feeling Gibbs' angry glare, she glances back see Gibbs there; angry with her for not going along with their original plan. But quick thinking and quicker actions were required in the field... besides, she had ensured they got the right guy.

Jenny continues to flirt with Doug along the way, leaning in with her hand on his neck as she laughs and talks to him. Gibbs scowls when the car sways a couple of times and he wonders what her other hand is doing. Luckily for their unsuspecting perp, the drive is only about twenty-five minutes and Jenny will soon be out of his car after giving him a sincere, but insistent excuse why she can't go all the way to Marseille with him.

By time they reach Aubagne, Gibbs is half convinced she gave the sailor a hand job and is even more furious at her. He refuses to acknowledge that his anger is fueled by jealousy as he pulls over to watch her get out. She bends down from the curb to blow a brief kiss to the driver and then starts walking away. Doug reluctantly watches her go, glancing at his watch with a sigh because he knows his schedule is too tight to waste time chasing after this enticing redhead.

When he finally pulls away from the curb, Gibbs pulls up to where she is walking with a chirp of the tires at his abrupt braking. Jenny glances over her shoulder, and seeing their suspect's car moving away through traffic, quickly gets in. When she is in the car, Gibbs jams his foot on the gas and pulls an abrupt u-turn, squealing the tires as he heads after their suspect. She sees the tension around his mouth, and knows she won't have to wait long to hear the lecture.

"Pull that crap again and I'll leave you standing on the curb!" He takes his eyes off their suspect vehicle for a moment to glare over at her. "You got that!? Ever do that again and we're done, Agent Shepard! You are my partner and you don't change the plan and put yourself in danger."

"I wasn't in danger, Jethro... I knew you were there... following us." She fidgets with her seatbelt as she tries to control her instant reaction to argue with him. "... and I didn't do anything to jeopardize the mission."

Gibbs quickly scans the road ahead, having momentarily lost sight of their quarry. He curses under his breath as he tries to decide which route the man may have taken. Jenny saw the rental take the turn ahead to the right and merely points her finger in that direction; correctly assuming Gibbs would not appreciate a comment about having lost sight of the car. Gibbs quickly jerks the wheel again, cutting off other cars and causing horns to blare and tires to screech. He barely makes the turn from an inside lane and then sighs silently as he heads up the ramp to the A50 Highway and sees the suspect vehicle ahead of them again.

He jerks the wheel to the left, then right as he aggressively passes a slower moving vehicle; moving into position three cars back once more. His anger is even more intense after losing sight of the guy; knowing his anger at her caused his lapse of attention. His anger is overflowing now and his neck turns red as he forces his hands to stay on the steering wheel. He should just let it go, but his jealousy won't remain silent as he snarls his accusation, "You think an NCIS agent giving a suspect a hand job isn't jeopardizing our mission?!"

"What? I did not! How could you even think that!?" She is now just as angry at him for thinking she would compromise a mission by doing such a thing and turns to glare at him. Her green eyes are sparking emerald fire in her anger, but his cold ice blues meet hers without wavering. She is the one to finally break the stare look away as she turns to look out window; seething inside that he could even think that of her!

Gibbs realizes he may be wrong about that, but not the rest and he isn't about to apologize to her after what she did. He forces himself to calm down and back off the gas a bit as he realizes they have moved to within one vehicle of the suspect's rental car. They can't afford to let him see Jenny following behind when she told him she was meeting friends in Aubagne. He takes several calming breaths and flexes his hands to release the tension in them. They both refuse to look at the other and make the rest of the thirty-five minute drive to Marseille in a tense silence.

* * *

In Marseille they pull over to watch as the suspect parks and takes his backpack out of the car. He hesitates to light a cigarette and appears to be glancing around casually, but they know better. Kirkland is checking for anyone paying too much attention to him or his vehicle. To avoid being seen, Gibbs pulls his car quickly into an alley out of sight, but in doing so loses sight of their quarry once again. Gibbs decides to leave the car with Jenny and follow on foot; keeping Jenny hidden from Kirkland. As he gets out she does also and they peer carefully around the rough brick wall of the building on the corner.

"Shit!" Gibbs grumbles a curse as he realizes Kirkland has walked off while they were in the alley and he have no idea which direction he went.

"Café Paulette." Jenny is directly behind him and tries to hide her smirk at his frustration as he spins around to face her. "It's about three blocks up on the right... popular area with lots of café's and tourists."

Gibbs glares at her for a moment and then growls, "You knew where he was headed... and you didn't think I needed to know that?!"

"I just told you! Geez, Gibbs are you always so uptight like this?" She suddenly sees his eyes glitter dangerously as his frustration with her grows. She lowers her eyes and shrugs, "We chatted on the ride up here."

"And..." Gibbs has to physically restrain himself from reaching out to grab her shoulders and give her a good shake.

"And his name is Doug Kirkland, he's from San Bernardino, California... comes from money, playboy sort... and he's got big plans for when his tour in the Navy is up."

"Big plans? I bet." He holds out the keys to the car, "Here, I'll go in on foot, move in close and keep us in sight, but do not let him make you."

She takes the keys and is about to make a smart-ass comment about how she isn't that stupid, but the glare from him stops her. She merely rolls her eyes and heads back to the car as Gibbs heads off to find their suspect at the café. Jenny sighs heavily as she wonders if she's ever going to be able to do anything right on this mission. She realizes that ever since he showed up here he'd found fault with everything she did... well, not everything, but at least those things that had to do with this mission.

A few minutes later, Gibbs locates Kirkland at the Café Paulette just like Jenny said. He sits at an outside table and has ordered a coffee as he waits for his connections to arrive. Gibbs stays out of sight and takes up a table inside a café across the street and down a couple of shops. As he is scanning the crowded street with cafés and shops on both sides for the throng of tourists to enjoy, he finally sees Ned and Walter. They are four shops up on the same side of the street as Kirkland, but they are not looking at him. They must be watching their guy.

"Hey, you mind?"

Gibbs looks back to see Joe standing by his table, gesturing towards the spare seat. Gibbs just nods, glad he was able to locate them. "You find out much?"

"Only that this little corner of heaven is the local hang out if you're lookin' to score." He gives his order to the waitress and then continues as she walks away. "Took me all of thirty minutes to get that info out of the locals."

Gibbs points out Ned and Walter, who are now on the move, trailing a man who has an obvious military haircut, a dead giveaway even though he is wearing jeans and a tank top... and an identical black and red backpack. Joe nods and they watch as Airman first class Bart Deluca, slowly makes his way towards Café Paulette. Walter is scanning the area and catches sight of Joe and Gibbs, giving them a covert nod before blending back into the crowd. Deluca comes to sit at a table next to Kirkland. He sets his backpack on the ground near the other one for an easy switch.

The team is ready to move, waiting for the switch to be made, but two suspects continue to sit there as if waiting for something. "What the hell are they waiting for?"

Just as Joe voices his question, they see a third man join them. He is more olive-skinned than most of the people milling about, dark and mysterious as he glances around before taking a seat at Deluca's table. Ned and Walter glance to Gibbs and he discreetly gives them a signal to hold back. They need to see what this third man is up to and how he figures in to this drug deal. Deluca and the stranger chat for a moment, then the man lays a folded newspaper on the table, sliding it across to Deluca before he glances over to Kirkland and gives him a slight nod. Kirkland bends over to unzip his pack, allowing the other men to glimpse the contents inside before he zips it up again. Neither man responds as they watch the third man get up and leave without taking either of the backpacks with him.

Deluca then lifts the paper open to reveal an envelope inside and glances around before he opens it. When Deluca grins over at Kirkland, Gibbs gives Joe a nod and he quietly gets up to follow after the mysterious third man. Joe, being experienced in this kind of sting, blends into the crowd as he tails the man who is obviously the financier for this ring. He would never lower himself to be caught with the drugs in his possession, but he was still taking a risk to be seen in public with the two Americans.

Ned and Walter begin moving closer from their location, ducking into a shop door close by to watch as Deluca opens envelope and removes half of the cash. He tucks it inside his jeans pocket, before handing Kirkland the newspaper with the envelope and remaining cash inside. They talk casually for a few moments before Deluca finally stands up and grabs Kirkland's bag and leaves. Ned and Walter are stepping out to intercept when they see Gibbs moving across street towards them shaking head. He passes by them, casually bumping into Ned as he whispers instructions to him.

"Follow our sailor and take him off after he's left this area. I got your guy." And with that, Gibbs follows after the airman and they turn their attention to Kirkland, who is grinning happily as he picks up the remaining backpack and heads back towards his rental car.

Gibbs' gut tells him there is more to this than a couple of enterprising enlisted men trying to make a little extra cash on the side. And who was that third guy? What was his involvement in all this? If he was paying for the drugs, then why didn't he just take them? As he is walking he notices Jenny trailing along close behind in the car, moving in and out of traffic as best as she can in this congested area.

When he sees Deluca pause at a street vendor to purchase some coffee, he veers out and steps into the path of their oncoming car. Jenny stops abruptly and Gibbs plays up the part of the indignant Frenchman as he raises his hands in a universal gesture and calls out, "Hé... regardez où vous allez!"

He then walks up to her window, repeating his rant, "Hé... regardez où vous allez, Mademoiselle." When he is close enough, he lowers his voice, "Stay with me until we see where this guy is headed."

"Kirkland is in custody and headed back to Istres Airbase with Ned and Walter."

Gibbs nods and moves off to follow their man for several more blocks, watching as he nervously glances around to check on anyone following him. Unfortunately for him, Gibbs is a master of hiding in plain sight each time he does. Deluca finally goes into a dark bar in a seedier part of town and sits at table in the back. Gibbs takes a seat at the bar near the front door and keeps his head down as he orders a beer. Jenny waits out front in the car until she sees Joe and the third man approaching on foot. This man also enters bar and stops next to Gibbs to let his eyes adjust to the darkened room. Gibbs studies him cautiously; he seems more Castilian Spanish than French. This is confirmed when the man calls out his drink order in heavily accented Spanish. Gibbs recognizes some of the words from the local dialect of the southern Catalan region.

He waits until the man sees Deluca and makes his way back to join him there. Joe has entered also, making his way from the back hallway via the back entrance. He stands by the restrooms, in position to stop them from fleeing out the back. Gibbs gives a silent signal to hold off so he can see what happens next. The two men talk, or rather... the third man appears to be in charge and lecturing Deluca. The Airman finally nods in agreement, but it is obvious he isn't happy about how things are going. The Castilian downs his drink and is turning to order another when the front door opens allowing light to flood the dingy room.

The light draws his attention and his eyes fall directly on Gibbs, being the only one not looking at the open door. Gibbs sees his eyes narrow suspiciously and realizes his mistake when red hair flashes beside him. He turns, grabbing the new arrival around the waist as he turns in his seat to jerk her to him. Jenny barely has time to realize who has grabbed her in the dark bar before she is thrust against a firm chest; being thoroughly kissed. She hesitates only a moment until her lips recognize his... but his harsh kiss tells her Gibbs isn't just glad to see her. She instantly softens against him accepting his harsh kiss and allowing his rough hand to fist in her hair as his tongue darts hungrily between her lips.

When she feels him relaxing his hold on her, the kiss becomes more gentle until he finally eases her back. Her eyes open to see that his attention is not even on her, but focused over her shoulder towards the back of the bar. She tries not to let the disappointment pooling in her chest show as she plays her part and strokes her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"You figure out who that third player is yet?" Her words are whispered against his ear as she leans in to nibble on it.

"Nope... but he's Castilian... and he's obviously in charge." He stifles a groan as her tongue continues to tease his ear, but his eyes never leave the two suspects at the table.

Gibbs tries not to let Jenny's roving lips distract him while watches the men talk briefly before Deluca stands up. He leaves the backpack on the seat for the Castilian and makes his way to the back door to leave. Gibbs eases Jenny back with firm hands on her waist as he makes eye contact with Joe, silently telling him to quietly take Deluca off out back.

Jenny spins around to lean into Gibbs' chest, resting between his legs as they watch the Castilian. It is now his turn to wreak havoc on her senses as he nibbles a trail slowly down her neck. When they see their suspect standing to leave after finishing his second drink, Gibbs leans in to whisper in Jenny's ear, "Follow him... I'll take the car."

He fishes the keys from her front pocket discreetly as the man starts to move in their direction. Gibbs saw him pay for his drinks and put his wallet in his suit jacket pocket earlier, so he pushes Jenny into his seat and heads towards the man as he turns to drunkenly call back, "J'ai besoin d'utiliser les toilettes."

His timing is perfect in the crowded room as he bumps into their suspect and picks his pocket on his way by. He apologizes in French and acts slightly drunk and stumbles again as the glaring man pushes him away with a look of disgust. When he continues out the front door, Jenny waits a few moments and then follows after him. Gibbs pockets the man's wallet and hurries towards the table to grab the glass he had used. He wraps it in a napkin and tucks it in his pocket then heads out back to find Joe.

Joe has Deluca in custody with no problems and Gibbs quickly gives him an update. "We'll stay with our money man. Get him back to Istres. Ned and Walter are headed there with Kirkland... and have this analyzed for prints." He gives Joe the glass and then opens the wallet to add, "The prints should come back to a... Antonio Ribaldi Calabria."

"Calabria? Sounds Spanish." Gibbs nods his confirmation and then glances over to where their suspect is seated to ensure he cannot hear them.

"Yeah... my gut is telling me this is bigger than two idiots trying to make a buck."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Joe also glances over to Deluca, but sees that the man has his head down on his knees in self-pity; knowing he is in big trouble.

Gibbs just nods and gives Joe a pat on the shoulder before he hurries off to find their car out front. He scans the road in both directions and sees Jenny's red hair down the street. He moves into position a block behind as they follow the man who appears to be in a hurry now. He clutches the backpack to his chest as he moves along the sidewalk at a quicker pace than before. Within minutes they realize where he is headed when signs begin to appear giving directions to the local train station.

When they are certain he is getting in line to buy a ticket, Gibbs appears at Jenny's side and gives a quick shake of his head. Her brow creases in confusion, wondering why he is telling her to back off now. They have the perfect opportunity to grab their third man with the drugs on him... in a public place with no excuses. Instead, Gibbs moves to stand several people behind their suspect until he hears the destination of his ticket purchased. When the man tries to pay for his ticket, he begins fumbling in his pockets for his wallet and a brief panic seizes him when he can't find it. Gibbs discreetly ducks down as if tying his shoe and slides the man's wallet across the floor until it stops near his foot.

An elderly woman standing behind him sees the panicky search and also begins looking around, realizing he has lost something. She sees the wallet and points it out to their suspect, who bends to grab it as Gibbs makes his retreat away from the line unseen. The Castilian is obviously confused as to how he dropped his wallet, but doesn't have time to worry about it since he has a train back to Andorra to catch. He pays for his ticket and hurries out of the station to wait on the platform; unaware that Gibbs and Jenny are still watching him from inside.

"Headed to Andorra." At Jenny's second confused frown, he explains further. "It's a small country inside Spain, Castilian territory in the mountains... and hotbed or terrorist activity for the area."

"And we're not taking off this guy... why?!" She has trouble containing her anger at letting their prey slip away like this. "We need to grab him, Gibbs. We need the drugs to prove our case on the other two we have in custody."

"Because... there's more to this than drugs, Jen. My gut is telling me we stumbled onto a funding plan for the Castilian revolutionaries... and we are not going into Spain without backup... and definitely not into Andorra without proper cover."

"So we just watch him get on a train with our evidence!?" Jenny is upset and wants to charge ahead to make her drug case in her inexperience.

"Yeah, Agent Shepard... you got a problem with that?" Gibbs' experience and seniority wins out as he gives her a glare that tells her the decision is made and the discussion is over. She returns his glare for a moment, then looks back out to the man on the platform as she reluctantly watches their suspect get on a train and disappear.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

He'd come to know that look well over the past days and eyed his partner cautiously as he maneuvered the car through the narrow Paris streets. She hadn't spoken more than one word to him since they left Director Penrod's office and there was no doubt she was angry. The question was... what was she angry about this time? Gibbs had quickly learned that the fiery redhead had a temper to match, but he hadn't mapped out all of her trigger points as yet. She'd been furious at him when he refused to let her hop on that train and go chasing after their suspect yesterday.

Today she'd seemed calm, understanding the logic behind his decision not to race into a country like Andorra without making the proper preparations. They'd just left the briefing on their mission and suddenly she was back to giving him the silent treatment. He thinks back over the briefing and knew he hadn't said anything that would have made her inexperience apparent to their new boss. He sighed inwardly, knowing he'd hear about it when she was ready. He hears the rhythmic tapping of her manicured nails on the door's armrest, rapping out a four-beat tattoo that he had no doubt matched the racing of her thoughts at the moment.

When he pulls up in front of her apartment, he is lucky to find a parking space right out front. He doesn't hesitate to jump out and grab her bag from the trunk. She is standing on the sidewalk when he closes the trunk, her hand extended to receive her bag, but Gibbs just gives her a half glare and walks past her towards the stone building. Agent Shepard huffs out her latest reason for being angry, being forced to follow him inside. She hadn't wanted him inside her home, but Gibbs made it perfectly clear he wasn't about to leave her standing on the curb with her bag. Gibbs hesitates to hold the door for her and receives another glare from her for his courtesy. Once inside, Jenny jabs the button to call the elevator and turns her back on him, waiting in stony silence for the car to arrive.

Gibbs scans the names on the mailboxes imbedded in the opposite wall. His eyes stop on one that doesn't appear to fit in and smirks as he sees her undercover name, Jenny Oakley. Without asking for confirmation, he knows this is her mailbox. Recalling that this pioneer woman of American history was her hero. Jenny told him she admired Annie Oakley because she was a woman who excelled in a time when the American west was truly a man's world. Out-shooting all of them, refusing to behave as women of her time were expected to do. Foregoing the traditional dresses of the time and opting for buckskin leggings with a matching skirt and vest with long fringe; reminiscent of the American Indians clothing. Cowboy boots that rose to just below her knees and a wide-brimmed bronco buster hat made the Ohio farm girl undeniably different. He smiles again, realizing Jenny had picked an appropriate idol to suit her personality.

When the bell rings, Jenny steps in without hesitation and jabs the button for her floor, not waiting for her partner to join her. Gibbs has to leap into the car to avoid being smashed between the closing doors. He refrains from voicing the annoyed comment that rises in his throat, knowing it will only make the situation worse. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to demand an explanation as soon as they were inside her apartment and had some privacy.

Jenny tries her best to ignore the man walking down the hall beside her. He was, after all just being a gentleman and carrying her bag to her door. That didn't mean her partner wasn't the most infuriating man she'd ever met... and his calm silence was doing nothing to alleviate that problem. She had expected him to be more 'Gibbs' and demand answers, tell her she was being childish or even call it like it was. She was being a bitch to him and she knew it... but she couldn't help her anger at his latest maneuver to insert himself as her superior. She had just started to calm down when he pulled that stunt in Director Penrod's office... calmly sitting back and letting her take all the credit for the well handled mission.

She knew that wasn't how it had gone down and so did Leroy Jethro Gibbs... so why had he led the Director to believe it had been her calling the shots? Why had he insinuated it had been her idea not to follow their suspect onto that train? She had screwed up this mission more than once and it had been Gibbs' experience that saved the mission from being a complete failure. Jenny was smart enough to realize that if Gibbs hadn't shown up to be the extra agent she needed, the whole thing would have fallen apart... so why the hell was he covering for her?!

Her hand is shaking slightly as she unlocks the door to her apartment and then swings it open before turning to face this enigma of a man. She holds out her hand for her bag once again, but he merely shakes his head with a half smirk as he walks past her. She is stunned at his assumption that he can just walk into her home when she made it perfectly clear she was not going to invite him in. She huffs out an exasperated breath and follows him inside, slamming the door to punctuate her mood.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Agent Gibbs?"

"Putting your bag down, Agent Shepard." He makes a point of slowly setting her bag down near the hallway before turning back to face her.

She has her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing brilliant green daggers and the cutest blush coloring her cheeks. He mimics her stance, facing her with his hands on his own hips. Without giving her time to respond, he cocks his head to one side and gets right to the point.

"Gonna tell me what's got you so pissed off, Jen?"

"You." She knows she doesn't stand a chance of winning the stare-down and turns away from his intense blue eyes. She goes put her purse on the counter in the kitchen; keeping her back to him, fully aware that his eyes are boring into her.

"That's pretty obvious..." His voice is much closer and she finally turns around to face the man who is now standing in the entrance to her small kitchenette. "Wanna tell me why?"

"No. Yes..." She hesitates, choosing her words carefully so she doesn't come across sounding whiny and ungrateful. Even through her anger she realizes it was done for her own benefit, but that does nothing to stem her temper. "What the hell was that... in Penrod's office earlier?"

"You were there... it was a debriefing of the mission." He knows what she is getting at, but still doesn't know why she's angry at him for covering up the fact that she had made a couple of rookie mistakes out there.

She throws her hands up in an exasperated motion and turns to yank the refrigerator door open and grab two beers. She purposely tosses one to him, earning her a glare for shaking up the drink. He will have to wait to open it now. She opens her own bottle and takes a long drink, slowly sighing to rub in the fact that he can't do the same. "Exactly! You briefed him on your mission!"

Gibbs sets his beer bottle on the counter before turning his attention back to his partner. "No, I did not." I told him the truth, Jen... nothing more. It was your mission, you were in charge... decisions were made and it all turned out in our favor."

"That is not how it happened and you know it, Jethro! God, you lied to the new Director!"

"Relax... Oliver and I go way back. He understands."

"That's what I'm talking about!" She storms past him into the living room; giving his arm a shove when he doesn't move out of her way quick enough.

Gibbs sighs and turns around to follow her pacing, forgetting about his beer for the time being. The apartment is small so there is no need to physically move away from the door jamb he is leaning on once again. His eyes narrow as he tries to get inside her head, but for the most part the red-head's temper has him baffled.

"That's the way it's always been! That's the way it's always going to be, isn't it?!" She stops to stare out her window, knowing the view is nothing more than a close up of the brick wall of the building next door.

"You know... it'd be a lot quicker if you'd just tell me what you're so pissed about." This was not how he had envisioned them ending their first mission together. Especially after that perfect night in the hotel in Marseille.

Jenny turns around to face him, her face a set of stern lines as she glares at him again. "The boy's club! That's what I'm pissed about... the bureaucratic secret BOY'S CLUB!"

Gibbs doesn't quite know how to respond to that without somehow setting her off again so he merely shrugs and states the truth. "It's the military, Jen... you knew that coming into this job."

"I was recruited right out of college... told this was an up and coming field for women. I was led to believe female undercover operatives were in demand and this was a career that could take me places." She takes another swig of her beer and then adds, "It's all bullshit, Gibbs... and on top of that, you made me feel like an idiot in there!"

"How exactly did I do that?! Never said a word about anything that happened." His own anger is rising at her verbal bashing of an institution he has long been proud to be associated with.

"Exactly! You knew I screwed up out there... you were the one who pulled it all together... you were the one who took control and stopped me from chasing that guy into Andorra." She sets her beer down as she paces back and forth, her frustration obvious.

Gibbs finally realizes why she has been so mad at him all afternoon... she was angry at herself for screwing up. Him covering for her in front of the Director just emphasized the point that he knew she'd screwed up. He waits a moment, watching her pace until she finally stops in front of her beer; picking up the bottle to take another long swig to drain it. She glares at the bottle as if it's inability to remain full was another point of contention with her. She abruptly heads for the kitchen again to get a new drink and Gibbs is quick enough to slant his body sideways to avoid being shoved out of the way again.

He watches as she jerks open the door and removes another cold beer. With her back to him, she opens it and takes another long sip before letting out a tired sigh. Taking a few steps into the kitchen, Gibbs comes up behind her and slowly reaches around her to grab her bottle. Jenny watches the bottle being removed from her hand and as it disappears she turns around to see Gibbs draining the remaining contents. His proximity causes her breathing to halt as she watches his throat flex, swallowing down the cold beer. She has a sudden urge to wrap her lips around his throat and feel that motion with her tongue, but she resists.

He lowers the empty bottle, setting it on the counter beside them with a firm thud. His cool blue eyes leave no doubt, his patience at her tirade has run out and he shows her the anger in his own eyes for the first time. Gibbs wants to get past this and knows if they are to be partners, there can't be any self-doubt or always worrying about making a mistake. "Don't give me that crap about being oppressed by the boy's club! You were chosen for this assignment for a reason... you're a damned good agent."

She opens her mouth to reply, but his hands come up to her shoulders, squeezing just enough to keep her silent as he pushes her back against the refrigerator. "You've only been a field agent for a year... and in that time, you've done some good stuff, but you're still a Probie."

Jenny remains silent, but feels an instant desire to fight against the term that to her is synonymous with incapable. She grew up on a Navy family where she was expected to always strive for perfection and doing everything right the first time. She keeps her eyes focused on his chest, knowing the intensity in his blue eyes will be her undoing.

Gibbs understands her desire to make it in this male dominated field... to prove herself and live up to the name of her father, Admiral Jasper Shepard. But he also knows she's going about it the wrong way. Storming around without proper planning may work sometimes, but it would eventually backfire on her. He silently vows to help her become better agent... the right way. "You're too hard on yourself, Jen. Nothing happened out there that Penrod needed to know about."

"Only because you were there to take over and run things. Just because you didn't tell Penrod, doesn't mean you won't..."

Her words are cut off as Gibbs wraps on big hand around her neck and hauls her in for a harsh kiss meant to silence that train of thought. She is too stunned to respond and suffers through his harsh caress until he slowly pulls back to glare down at her with intensely blue eyes that hide none of his emotion. His next words, softly spoken but no less harsh than his kiss leave her with no doubt.

"I will always have your six...no matter what..."

His lips hungrily drop to her throat, mapping out every inch of her exposed skin, forcing her head back against the firm surface at her back and closes her eyes. His hands remain on her shoulders holding her still, but the fingers of his right hand slowly gather the material of her shirt, pulling it back to expose more soft white skin to his hot lips. Jenny knows how easy it would be to lose herself in the passion they share, but she fights the urge to give in until she's made her point clear.

"So... you're just gonna... mmnn... cover for me... from now on? How is that going to work, Gibbs?"

"Not gonna cover for you..." His mouth continues its path back up to her ear, whispering his words to her in a voice much huskier than before. "... gonna be there... show you... teach you..."

She is torn between the tremors racing down her spine at his gravelly voice breathed out against her ear and her desire to stand on her own... prove herself his equal. "I'm not... some Probie in my first week on the job... Jethro... stop..."

His head comes up slowly, reluctant to end his sensual pursuits. When his eyes meet hers, he sees the stubbornness there and takes a moment to gently place an errant curl back behind her ear. He finally sighs and gives her the truth she needs to hear. "I got a few more years of experience on the streets, Jen... and I don't mean that in a demeaning way. Just want you to know... I'm here to help you... make you the best agent you can be. You have talent... no doubt, but it needs work... molding..."

"And you're gonna do that?" A slight smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as her hands glide slowly up his chest. "Mold me?" Her lips sneak up to gently kiss his chin. "Make me into your perfect agent?" Her fingers lace up through his short hair, applying just enough pressure to tilt his head down to hers as she places more soft kisses along the way to his mouth. "Just the way you want me..."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Gibbs knows she has not given up her stubborn attitude that she is going to take on the NCIS establishment all on her own. He finds it increasingly hard to concentrate on their discussion as it has obviously taken a sudden turn back to his original objective. If he can't convince her with words, then he'll just have to do it with actions... and right now his body was in desperate need of some action.

He allows his head to be drawn down to her light kisses that tease and then disappear like the touch of a butterfly. When her lips once again alight only to drift away, his hands come up to frame her head as he stills her fluttering lips. His mouth claims hers with an impatience he tries hard to control, but her whimper as he forces her lips to part expresses his growing desire. His tongue dives deeply in to claim her own and they are soon lost in the erotic dance of twining tongues and flaring passions. She moans as his hips rhythmically press into her, letting her feel the urgency of his need and sparking her own until they are breathless and desperate for more.

Gibbs finally pulls back, drawing ragged breaths as his intensity burns in his eyes as she holds his gaze with green eyes that suddenly sparkle with desire. He slowly examines her face, taking in her swollen lips, still glistening from their long, deep kisses and can't resist once more dropping his mouth to hers for a slow, teasing kiss that promises so much more.

When he again pulls back, his thumb gently strokes her cheek as he huskily growls, "You're mine, Jen..." Gibbs tilts her chin up so she can't hide the emotion that instantly flickers across them from him. He sees the defiance, that stubborn streak, but at this moment he knows she can't resist him and huskily orders, "Now say it..."

He pulls her in close for a slow, deep kiss that demands her surrender and she no longer has any will to resist him. She finally understands the depth of the loyalty in this man. He was loyal to the Navy, to NCIS... yes, but he was fiercely loyal to those he considered part of his inner circle. As his partner, she had apparently been granted a position in that sparsely populated circle. But as his mouth drops down for another kiss, gentler this time; she silently wonders how many people 'belong to him'. Their strong physical attraction was apparent from their first meeting, but now having let their attraction blossom into an actual relationship, Jenny finds herself in a unique position... being the sole focus of this intense man.

A thrill tingles down her spine at the thought of being the center of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' world, but she rolls her eyes, still reluctant to comply. For some reason she finds it very difficult to surrender control... even to this man, whom she suspects she is quickly falling in love with. She's had many affairs before and even a couple of relationships that might have resulted in a marriage proposal... that is if she hadn't tactfully put an end to them when she saw that writing on the wall. His gaze holding her prisoner now doesn't waver as he watches the internal struggle in her eyes. With a small smirk she picked up from him, she gives him the answer he wants... the answer that for now... will at least ease the desire swirling around in her belly.

"Yes dear..."

He holds her gaze a moment longer, not sure he likes that hint of a sarcastic smirk on her lips. Then he abruptly steps back and taking her by the hand, pulls her away from the refrigerator. He turns to grab his now luke warm beer from the counter and leads her out of the kitchen; apparently satisfied that the topic was settled. Jenny just smiles at his back, knowing this isn't over, but it can wait as he leads her down the hall to her bedroom.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Over the next few months, Jenny and her somewhat annoying partner, Jethro Gibbs have become a force within the European theater of covert operations. With her enthusiasm and Gibbs' steadfast insistence on planning, their services had become increasingly requested by those in positions of power. Gibbs never questioned Oliver Penrod about who was asking for their services... or how they were connected to NCIS operations. He trusted Director Penrod to ensure they were only sent on missions that directly jeopardized national security.

Gibbs had to admit, he'd never worked with a partner who picked up the intricacies of undercover work as quickly as Jenny did. She was a natural; able to think on her feet, react spontaneously and see the trap unfolding before it happened. She even saw options before he did sometimes, but he would never let her know that. After all, he was supposed to be teaching her the ropes, not the other way around.

Their first mission to eliminate a threat had been in the Soviet Republic of Russia; not long after the fall of Communism and USSR control. Very few covert missions behind the former Iron Curtain were successful, mainly because the KGB was still a formidable opponent and they were ruthless. To be successful, they needed to be ruthless too and at first, Gibbs wasn't sure Jenny was ready. Wasn't sure she could actually pull the trigger... to eliminate a target.

There were three targets to be eliminated on this mission. One was a KGB agent, the other two were U.S citizens who'd sold secret information and their country's security for a few hundred thousand dollars. They could not be allowed to continue and the chances of them returning to the United States to stand trial were not good. Coveted by the KGB as their best intelligence leads in a decade, they would not allow them out from under their control.

Jenny had been putting on her tough-girl face, pretending this was nothing more than any other mission when they arrived in Kaluga; a small town about fifty kilometers south of Moscow. Gibbs saw through her bravado and kept a close eye on her, but he never said a questioning word until they were about to head out from their hotel room that night.

"You ready for this?"

She was giving her appearance one last look in the hotel mirror, adjusting her black wig, giving her lipstick one last touch up. "Yes. Are you?"

"I've done this before... you haven't, Jen." He comes to stand behind her, letting his hands settle on her hips with a familiarity they'd both become comfortable with.

"I'm fine, Jethro." Her eyes held his for a long moment, then she looked down as she recapped her red lipstick. His eyes followed in the mirror; catching the slight tremor of her hands.

He decides to keep his concerns to himself and see how she handled things. The plan was to meet up with their third agent at the local underground club frequented by foreigners who were looking for more than the State sponsored tourist activities. There they would locate their targets, who they were told, would be hanging around to see what information they could get from the clueless Americans.

Gibbs and Jenny left their hotel, giving every appearance of being loving newlyweds on their honeymoon. Their third, Agent Decker, would arrive separately... but if Gibbs knew Decker he wouldn't stay that way long. He wasn't one to let a good opportunity for female companionship go to waste since he was supposed to be a traveling businessman with a roving eye.

The club was dark and crowded, stuffy with the air clouded from cigarette and cigar smoke. They made their way to a quiet corner, found a table and settled in to wait for their quarry to arrive. Gibbs left Jenny to elbow his way to the bar where he ordered two drinks before returning to the table. As he returned Jenny noticed several curious pairs of eyes on them already and it didn't take long for the locals looking to make a quick buck off American tourists started coming around.

They played up their parts to perfection, cuddling and flirting with each other as they chatted with the locals, giving away just enough tips to lay the trap for their targets. Decker lived up to his reputation and within three minutes of arriving at the club, he had Russian women hanging on each arm. He casually made eye contact, but then turned his attention back to his new friends to keep from drawing suspicion that they knew one another.

About an hour later, the targets arrived and from the reaction of the other locals in the club, they were well known. The three men moved towards one end of the bar and those standing there immediately backed away and let them have the space. The give-away wasn't that they had shown respect to the two Americans, it was the way they deferred to the third man. It left no doubt in Gibbs' mind this was the KGB operative with the nasty reputation. He felt his partner tense at his side and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss. Their eyes met and he could see the tension in her. He gently kissed her again and whispered, "Relax, we're not going to move yet."

Jenny realized her muscles had gone tense as she watched the three enter the club. She didn't realize how obvious her tension was until Gibbs leaned in to give her his warning. Now she takes a deep breath and smiles at him, letting him know she has everything under control. He winks and lowers his mouth to hers for another slow, intense kiss. A little more distraction to help her relax as well as give them the cover they need as the three newcomers are discreetly pointed in their direction by the locals.

They remained seated until the Americans at the bar began paying too much attention to Gibbs and Jenny. Coming over to offer drinks and conversation while the KGB agent watched from the bar. Gibbs played up his part, chatting freely with them and making a big show of drinking everything they put in front of him. He knew it was time to act after the third drink and slid his empty glass away with an unsteady hand as he pretended to be a bit tipsy. Gibbs stood up and held out a hand to Jenny, playfully bowing as she took it and let him help her up. They laughed and leaned on each other as they said their good-nights and made their way through the crowd.

Once outside, they found a spot along the stone wall where they could see both angles of the club exits. Gibbs leaned against the wall, drawing Jenny in tight against his body as he nuzzled her neck and whispered, "Anything?"

She giggled and slapped at his shoulder as she saw the two men exit the club by the back door and hesitate in the shadows. "Just came out... rear exit in the shadows."

Jenny pushes away from Gibbs and slaps at him again as she now loudly laughs and then scolds him for his wandering hands, "Hey, buddy! Keep your hands to yourself... at least 'til we get back to the hotel."

"Aw, come on, Honey... gim'me a little!" She pushes his roving hands back again and then starts off down the street past the darkened alley where their targets were hiding. Gibbs moves after her, acting unsteady as he loops his arm around her waist and leans in close to kiss her cheek again. "Let's get a couple blocks down from the club and then duck down the alley that leads to the river."

Their targets, unsuspecting of a trap follow the two drunk Americans, watching as they stop to kiss now and then. Then when they reach the alley that slopes gently down towards the river, they duck in under another pretense of finding a dark area to fool around. The two men following them hang back a moment, listening for the sounds of romance. When all they hear is silence they exchange a glance and duck into the alley to locate their prey. Unfortunately for them, Gibbs and Jenny are waiting, armed with handguns equipped with silencers.

Quick shots are fired and two bodies drop to the ground in silence. They had performed their task perfectly, but Gibbs was a perfectionist and stepped out of the shadows to hover over the two men. He checks their wallets for ID, withdrew the cash they had on them to make it look like a robbery and then stood up and pointed his gun at their heads. Two more muffled shots ensured they would not survive. Gibbs turned around to see Jenny standing there with a shocked look on her face; the realization of what she had just done finally sinking in.

This was not the place for her to have a break down so he quickly holstered his gun and took her by the arm. Spinning her around he led her down to the river's edge where they found a paved path that would take them to the rear entrance of their hotel, about a mile down the river. Half way to the hotel, he saw a vagrant sleeping in the bushes along the path. He slowed down only enough to stuff the money he'd lifted from the two wallets into the bum's jacket pocket. The bum grumbled and jerked away from the touch, but was too intoxicated to rouse completely and as Gibbs and Jenny hurried away he drifted back to sleep, unaware of his sudden wealth.

* * *

Back in their room, Gibbs knew time was of the essence if they were to make a clean escape from this small town without suspicion. He dropped the drunk act the minute their door closed behind them and released her arm. He began shoving his belongings into his bag and it took him several minutes before he realized Jenny was still standing where he left her just inside the door. He sets his bag down and goes to her, placing his hands on either shoulder to get her attention.

"Jen..." She continues to stare at his chest so he gives her a gentle shake, "Jen! We gotta go... like now."

She finally snaps out of her trance and nods her head, seeing the worry in his eyes for her. She quickly pulls herself together and darts a look around the room. Seeing he is already partially packed she steps away from him and hurries to pack her things. Gibbs follows her with worried eyes, still not sure of her, but thankful she seems to be holding it together for the moment.

He swings his bag onto his shoulder and turns to her as she is coming out of the bathroom. "Ready?" She gives him a quick nod and grabs her bag as they head out. Gibbs tries not to think about the fact that she hasn't said a word since they carried out their mission. He needs to concentrate on getting out of the hotel, into their rental car and on the road before the bodies are discovered. Decker knew how to handle his target and would check in with them once they were all safely across the border.

Down in the lobby, Gibbs hesitates to hand the car keys to his partner so she can get the car. In her current state he just couldn't trust her and decides to keep her by his side as they check out quickly and leave the hotel. He hustles her towards their car, wishing she would snap out of this fog and move a little more quickly. Once in their car, Gibbs guns the engine, but forces himself to drive off at a conservative pace so as not to draw attention.

For the entire ride down the M3 highway from Kaluga to Bryansk, Jenny remains silent; staring out the window as the darkness flies by them. Gibbs gives her occasional nervous looks, hoping she doesn't give them away. An alert border checkpoint soldier would pick up on her mental state immediately and yank them out of their vehicle... and the last thing they wanted right now was to draw attention to themselves. He decides to lay low in Bryansk, a city three times the size of Kaluga. Spending the night there would seem less suspicious than making a border crossing this late at night.

* * *

Jenny is still in shock, stunned from having just taken another human's life for the first time. She slowly begins to come out of her haze, where the scene played out in her mind over and over again. She looks around to realize she is in a different hotel room. She has no recollection of how she got here... where Gibbs is... or where she is for that matter.

She hears movement in the bathroom and instinctively grabs for her gun, pointing it at the man who emerges wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. Gibbs stops dead, seeing the startled look in her eyes as she levels her gun at his chest. He slowly raises his hands in a position of surrender and keeps his voice soft as he notes the scared look in his partner's eyes. "Easy, Jen... it's me, Gibbs." She suddenly focuses on his face and the gun begins to lower, slowly tracking down his body and making him even more nervous. "Relax, honey... we made it out clean."

"Where are we?" She drops the gun to the bed and again looks around the room in confusion.

"We're in Bryansk... about eighty kilometers from the border with Ukraine."

"Oh..." She stands up to pace the room, trying to get her muddled brain to function again.

Gibbs moves towards his bag to retrieve clean clothes, but keeps an eye on her, still not sure what she'll do next. He is surprised when she suddenly comes up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she presses her body to his. His hands still in their search to give her his full attention.

"I'm sorry, Jethro... I just..." She stammers to try to explain what she had felt after gunning that man down in the alley.

"No need to apologize. It was your first time... you did good." He manages to turn slowly in her arms, facing her as he wraps his arms around her as she melts into his chest.

Realizing he understands what she can't put into words, she sighs, but still can't relax. She is filled with nervous tension and at the moment it finds an outlet through her mouth as she begins to hungrily trace kisses across his still damp skin. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to wash away the memory of what happened tonight, her hands glide down to tug at the towel around his waist.

Gibbs feels her mouth gravitating lower on his chest as the towel pools around his feet. He has a moment's hesitation; knowing Jenny's state of mind, but then she drops to her knees in front of him and all logical thought stops. Her mouth now hungrily seeks out anything within its reach while her hands quickly stroke him to hard, throbbing awareness. She kisses a hot trail up his thigh, grazing her nose through the mass of curling hairs surrounding his shaft. Gibbs leans back against the dresser as her head tilts, tongue flicking out to scoop one soft sack into her mouth where she can roll it around on her tongue.

Jenny has only one goal, to lose the memory of what happened tonight and she could only do that by losing herself in Jethro's loving. He could make her lose track of everything except his hands, his mouth and the way he claimed her over and over again. She moans as his legs part, giving her better access for her ministrations. Her mouth captures his other sack, sucking it into her mouth as a groan escapes him. His hands grip the dresser at his sides, forcing himself not to rush her when everything she does feels so good.

When her head comes back up, her eyes travel the length of his hard body to meet his; intensely blue and watching her every move. She holds his gaze for a long moment as she angles her chin to rub gently up the length of his cock. It is hot and hard, but sheathed in a satiny skin that she can't resist exploring with her tongue. She finally drops her eyes as she examines the most gorgeous part of her sexy partner. Her hand slips around the base, tilting his stiff cock out to meet her mouth and the air stills in his throat; anticipating the moment.

When she finally drops her mouth around his cock, it is not gentle or hesitant. Her lips glide quickly down the length of him, engulfing his shaft in a ravenous feeding frenzy. Gibbs feels the sensation rush through him in a tidal wave and his head drops back with a deep-throated groan. Jenny works her mouth over him, rougher and more aggressive than he's ever experienced from his normally compliant partner. Gibbs is too lost in the incredible sensations she is eliciting to care why she's changed tactics.

Jenny can't seem to get enough of him, wanting to literally swallow him whole and she frantically bobs her head, grazing the entire length of his shaft with her teeth as well as her lips. Her hand is stroking his balls, being a bit more gentle, but still pulling and tugging on them until Gibbs can't hold back the sensations any longer.

"Oh! Fuck!" He strokes her hair back, cupping the back of her head as his hips begin to move, thrusting gently into her mouth as feels the release building in him. "Jen... baby... I'm so close! Aahh... !"

His words only cause her to clamp down harder on his shaft, raking her teeth along its length as his fingers fist in her hair. His excitement is tinged with pain as she moans huskily and squeezes his balls just as she takes him deep as his hot fluids explode down her throat. Gibbs cries out at the intensity as she continues to suck every drop from him, moaning desperately as she feels his shaft begin to soften.

Gibbs leans back heavily against the dresser, his knees too weak to support him. His head drops forward, his chin resting on his chest in complete exhaustion. The room is spinning around him and his mind has ceased to function except to note the intense... and painful sensations as Jenny continues to devour his now over-sensitive cock. His hand weakly grips her hair, trying to pull her back with a breathless plea. "Jen... easy... Christ... easy..."

Somewhere in the back of her mind she hears his words, but she can't bring herself to stop. She does slow down, easing the pressure as she now slowly massages his reddened skin with the softer touch of her tongue. Gibbs sighs and closes his eyes to enjoy this gentler caress, but she has other plans and it isn't long before he feels himself hardening once more.

Before she can latch on to him again, Gibbs reluctantly pulls her to her feet and uses both hands along her face to put her talented tongue to a different use. His kiss is deep and hungry, muffling her husky moans as he holds her tongue captive in his mouth. His hands work efficiently to remove her clothing and by the time he has her edged across the room to the bed she is wearing only her bra and panties.

Breathless, but still craving more, Jenny breaks the kiss to gasp for air as her knees meet the frame of the bed. She grabs him around the waist and arches herself backwards onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her in a move that was both graceful and awkward. Gibbs grunts softly as he lands on top of her, trying to stop his weight from crushing her. Their eyes meet for another intense moment and he realizes her aggression is fueled by a deeper need than desire. His arm snakes under her body and he lifts up on one arm, hoisting her further onto the bed.

Her hands are everywhere, impatiently seeking out each hard curve and angle of him. Another moan escapes her as he settles in between her thighs. "Jethro... I need you..." His mouth drops to hers, hoping to calm her impatience with a long, slow kiss, but she isn't having any of it. Her teeth nip his lower lip, drawing a dot of blood as he groans in pain. "Fuck me...no loving... no foreplay... not tonight... I need..." Her impatient mouth is now nipping his neck, chest and shoulders, anything she can reach as she gasps out her words between nips. "... hard... fast... oh, my God it hurts... so deep fucking..."

Gibbs has never seen this side of Jenny in the months they have been together. She has never been demanding in bed; letting him know what she wanted, but always in a more submissive way. This new demanding side of her... was a bit of a surprise... but damned hot! Gibbs felt the tremors of excitement zing through his body with each nip... with each huskily whispered word of her demand and there was no way in hell he wasn't going to give her exactly what she wanted.

With one hand and a quick twist and pull, her panties came apart in his hand as her legs curled up high around his waist, arching up to meet his hips. His cock slid across the slick, wet heat of her sex causing him to groan as he angled his hips and drove his cock into her hard. A gasp escaped her as her body arches back at the sudden invasion, but her hands grip his hips, clawing him closer. His nostrils flare as he pushes back, rising up on his stiffened arms as his knees come up to support his weight.

Hovering over her, Gibbs takes a moment to look down at the flushed damp skin of her chest, the puffiness of her lips and the desperate fire burning in her eyes. His arms loop behind her knees, drawing her hips up high to meet his thrusts. He supports his weight on his arms, his muscles bulging with the strain as he begins to thrust hard and deep, rocking the bed. He holds her eyes as she grips his forearms tightly, desperate to hold herself steady as his powerful thrusts shove her across the bed.

There are no words spoken, no loving caresses; just a hard, pounding rhythm that causes her to whimper as his cock drives deep into her belly. Beads of sweat quickly begin to streak down his face from the pace and just when he thinks he can't keep it up, her fingernails curl into his arm and her hoarse voice sends his efforts into overdrive.

"Aaahhh! YES! Harder... Ohhhh please... fuck me!"

With a deep growl in his chest, Gibbs suddenly raises up until he is kneeling above her. His arms wrap tightly around her thighs, holding her steady as he rams into her like a man possessed. Her cries express pain and ecstasy as her world crumbles and comes crashing down on her. The sensations are so intense the room fades and she is lost in a world of pain and glory and hard hips slamming into hers until she can't take any more. With her canal clamping down tightly on his shaft, Gibbs throws his head back and rides her orgasm hard. With one final thrust, he rams his cock deep into her body, leaning on her raised thighs as he finally groans out her name through gritted teeth. His life fluids explode deep inside her as his whole body remains locked in the tension of the moment.

Gibbs can barely force air into his lungs, his heart is hammering out of control in his chest and sparks of white light are dancing behind his closed eye lids. He slumps forward, resting against her upturned thighs until his weight causes her legs to tremble and buckle beneath him. He drops lazily down onto her belly, resting his head on her chest as they both lie stunned and gasping for air. Their sweat mingles under his cheek and as his senses begin to return, he manages to ease his cheek up onto the satiny material of her bra. Somewhere in the corner of his mind, he logs this information... never got her bra off, but for the life of him he can't think why that is significant right now.

Jenny is panting in fast, shallow gasps, having a hard time breathing with his weight on her chest, but too numb to do anything about it. Her hands are the only part of her capable of movement and she circles them slowly on his skin, just to give her brain something to focus on. Never in her life has she acted this way... hard and demanding... taking control in bed. Gibbs hadn't seemed to mind, but she was sure he'd have something to say later about all the bite marks on his skin. In this moment, she's never loved him more for knowing what she needed.

She once again allows her mind to think back over the night and the images of the man she gunned down in the alley come to her. She stifles a sob as tears suddenly fill her eyes and Gibbs instantly raises his weight off of her, thinking he is crushing her. Jenny turns her head away from him, trying to hide the tears and pain that their loving could not erase. She shifts out from under him and Gibbs is about to let her go, but then gently pulls her back to him as his mouth finds hers in a gentle kiss. When he pulls back, he kisses her nose and gives her the reassurance she needs.

"I'm proud of you, Jen." His words have the opposite effect on her and she quickly rolls onto her side of the bed to hide the tears in her eyes. Gibbs rolls onto his back and lies there staring up at the dark ceiling as he listens to her silent sobs, knowing this will release the emotion their intense loving had not accomplished.

When her soft sobs continue, he finally rolls over to find her, curling up around her. Cocooning her in his strong arms as he draws her back against his chest, he tenderly nuzzles her neck. He whispers soft, soothing comfort to her and soon her sobs begin to lessen. When she is finally able to stop the deep, soul-racking sobs, she lies quietly in his arms; occasionally sniffling and sighing as the tension leaves her body for good.

Gibbs knows nothing he can say will make her forget what they had to do back there, but he just hopes she can put this behind her and move on. He feels her finally relaxing into a boneless, limp mass in his arms and gently kisses her neck as he whispers, "I love you."


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Although they never mention her weakness of that night... Gibbs has noticed a change in his partner. She never let it happen again, and Gibbs is glad, but with her new toughness a part of her disappeared. Gibbs secretly misses the Jenny that was submissive and compliant to his every need. Now there was an intensity; a struggle for control... for ownership of their loving.

It has been four months since that mission in Russia and with each new assignment that throws them into dangerous situations; Jenny craves the thrill of the hunt almost as much as the hot sex following each one. This was her way of coping with what they had to do and Gibbs gives her all he can, loving her more for her courage each time. During one of their long nights together, Jenny had confessed it had been the killing of fellow Americans that upset her so much. Gibbs agreed that it had bothered him as well, but after that mission their skills are in demand even more.

* * *

Sitting in Director Penrod's office getting briefed on their new assignment, Gibbs hears the almost silent sigh that escapes his partner's lips. When he chances a quick glance at her, he isn't surprised to see a mask of professionalism. She has perfected her ability to control her emotions over the last few months, no matter what she was feeling on the inside. He wonders what emotional damage their lifestyle is doing to his partner who had been such a sweet, optimistic and enthusiastic agent not so long ago. It wasn't that she lacked enthusiasm now, but he could see their trips into the seedier side of international covert ops were affecting her.

"The Marseille drug connection... how is case that progressing?" Gibbs is pulled from his musings by the director's question.

"Ah, good, almost wrapped up. With the exception of the info we got on that Andorra connection. Not sure how that fits yet." Gibbs kept his voice level and calm, even though he sensed Jenny tense at the mention of letting that guy get away that day. It was still a sore spot with her.

"How about that terrorist cell? Any progress on that side, Agent Shepard?"

"We've been hearing some credible chatter on a group in the area, but nothing concrete yet." It is her turn to snap out of her thoughts to answer their boss's question. She didn't like having to admit they hadn't solved either case yet and adds, "But in all fairness, you haven't given Gibbs and I much time to work on those cases lately."

Penrod sits back in his chair, giving them each a long look, seeing the strain around their eyes from the demanding schedule of missions he's had to assign them lately. He finally nods and sits forward again as he flips open the folder on his desk in front of him. "I am very aware of the hours you two have been logging lately, Agent Shepard..."

Jenny's eyes drop to her lap at his gentle rebuke and she can feel Gibbs' glare as well. He was not one to voice his complaints; and he had warned her about doing the same thing many times.

"... and for that reason, I'm about to make those cases concrete... for both of you. Gibbs, your drug dealer was funneling the profits to the ring leaders in Andorra."

"Right... as far as we followed up on that line."

"And your case... the terrorists, Agent Shepard... we've gotten credible information that they are the ring leaders." Jenny's head comes up sharply as she hears this news, but before she can comment on it Gibbs does it for her.

"Drugs and terrorists... not unusual."

"But in Andorra? That is strange. It's a peaceful nation of separatists that don't bother anyone as long as they're left alone. It doesn't sound like likely place for terrorists." Jenny jumps in with her opinion on the small mountaintop nation located on the border between Spain and France.

"True, but in the past few years, they've become a base for the Catalonia Movement. You know how volatile that area of Spain is right now. They want to sever all ties with Spain and become their own nation."

"And Madrid has been cracking down on their movement so the hard-core members moved up into the mountains of Andorra where they can operate with relative impunity." Gibbs finishes the Director's words, having read up on the unrest in southern Spain in the NCIS briefing book recently.

"Good place to base an operation if you're targeting Spain, Portugal or France, but how does that involve us?" Jenny was getting a bad feeling in her stomach and she knew she wasn't going to like the answer to her question.

"Just got this in from SecNav..." He motions to the file now open in front of him. "The chatter we picked up from Andorra is about dragging the U.S. into their fight for freedom. Officially we have declined to take sides in the civil dispute in Spain, but now we may have no choice."

He hands them each a folder on the mission, identical to his own to review. Gibbs and Jenny take a few moments to quickly scan the file, then look at each other before returning attention to director. The look was enough to express their concerns, but they know better than to say them out loud. Director Penrod sees the look and understands their concerns... he was worried about this mission too.

"We've isolated where the chatter is coming from and we want to nip their operation in the bud before they can begin targeting U.S. military bases in the area. The bases they have mentioned are Istres Air Base and Rota Naval Base. There was also some vague mention of other U.S. Installations in the region."

Penrod stands up to give them a moment to digest the seriousness of this mission. He turns his back to them as he looks out over the dreary, rainy landscape of the coming Parisian winter. Without words, Gibbs and Jenny again share a look and with a connection on a level so much finer than mere partners they have already made up their minds.

Closing his file and stretching his legs out in front of him, Gibbs draws the director's attention back to them. "We have agents in Barcelona and Toulon after that drug smuggling case we cracked in May. Can't they monitor the chatter from there?"

"I don't need to tell you what would happen if our facilities in Spain and France came under terrorist attacks, Gibbs." Penrod's frown told him he didn't like his senior agent's idea.

"More anti-American sentiment from countries that are already grumbling about our extensive presence here."

"Blaming our presence for the upswing in terrorist activity because all terrorists in the world hate America." Jenny can't hide the sarcasm in her voice as she adds her comment.

"Right. And we can't allow ourselves to become a target in this political game. The Catalan cell believes by targeting our bases for terrorist activity, then Spain will tell us to pull out and... for lack of a better term, leave them in peace."

"Be a logical move. Nobody wants to stand next to the target... we get it."

"The Catalans believe they can use the U.S.'s need to stay in southern Europe to force us into siding with them in this civil fight."

"Help them win independence from Spain and we get to use their territory as military operation bases in the future. Pretty smart, actually. Catalonian territory is situated at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. That's pretty important territory for the region."

"Exactly. But you two are gonna make sure that doesn't happen. This is a top-secret operation, am I understood?" They both nod and give the director their full attention as he opens another folder and shows them two photos of the ring leaders. "These are your targets... get in, do the job and get out. Your orders are to terminate with extreme prejudice. Am I clear?"

Again they nod and he hands them their copies of the two leaders photos. They slip them into their folders and then exchange another glance. Gibbs finally asks the question that is looming large in the room and on both of their minds.

"And if the operation goes south?"

"If anything goes wrong... you need to fix it. This office will not acknowledge this mission."

"So... we're on our own. No back-up, no other teams... just us. Will we have an exit strategy?" Jenny's voice is now tinged with anger since once again they are being asked to do next to the impossible without help.

"We'll be monitoring you and give what assistance we can, but if you are captured... you are on your own. Any further questions?"

Again they exchange a glance and shake their heads and then a moment of tension as the director makes eye contact with each before lowering his eyes to his file to indicate the meeting is over. He watches them head for the door and then calls out, "Gibbs... I know you're up to this. Being a marine sniper and all... but look out for each other up there. Those mountains are full of dangerous people."

"Marines never leave a man behind, Director." Gibbs gives him a glare, letting him see how unhappy he is with is current assignment. Then he opens the door for Jenny, stepping outside and using all his willpower not to slam the door behind them.

* * *

"Look at it this way, Jen... we'll have a chance to get in some skiing while we're scoping out the town."

"Leave it to you to find something positive in a shit pile, Jethro." She tries to glare at him, but his infectious smirk wins her over once again. "And I'll get to see the Andorran countryside. Have you been up there?"

"Once, but I only remember winding roads, too much beer and half the car of marines vomiting on the roadside every few miles." He grins and presses down on the gas pedal as he moves around a slower moving car on the southbound expressway from Paris.

It was a nine hour drive to the Andorran border from Paris and luckily for them it was expressway all the way. At this time of year, they wouldn't run into any road hazards until they got up into the Pyrenees Mountains and from what the weather report had said, there wasn't any storms in the area. Even so, they had packed accordingly, knowing the mountains could be unpredictable in late September. It could be sunny one minute and a blizzard the next so snow gear and warm clothes had been packed, along with skis and snowshoes.

The plan was to make it to the border and stop for the night at El Pas de La Casa, which wasn't much of a town... not much more than 'the country house' that the name implied. It had a couple of small inns and a pub where they could get some dinner before turning in. The important thing was the town sat at the junction of the N20 Expressway and the N22 which led up into the mountains and their destination, the Andorran town of Soldeu.

"You do realize that our drive tomorrow will be much shorter if we backtrack and pick up the Tunnel d' Envalira, and cut through the mountain, right?"

"Yup."

"So why are we taking the N22 up over the mountain on the windiest road in all of the Pyrenees?" She was glad they were on the road again. The solitude of just the two of them in the car gave her a feeling of normalcy... of what their life could be like in the real world. Just two people taking a vacation to an interesting little town.

"Wanted you to see the country... that part of the Pyrenees is really beautiful."

"Huh... more like you want to see me puking all over the road like you did on your drunken marine leave... when was that again?"

"Not long enough!" He chuckles at the memory and gives her a playful wink as he navigates the exit into the town of El Pas de La Casa.

It was just after seven o'clock in the evening and a perfect time to arrive in the small Spanish town. Dinner in Europe was normally between seven and nine so they would have time to check in, get settled in their room and then go enjoy a leisurely dinner. Gibbs pulled into one of only three parking spaces at the tiny Inn who's sign declared it was in fact the Original Country House. Flipping off the engine, they sat for a moment giving their surroundings a quick assessment before getting out. Jenny is looking towards a small playground next to the Inn, lost in thought when Jethro's husky voice interrupts her thoughts.

"Hey..." Jenny turns to look at her partner and finds him leaning over in his seat towards her. Their faces are mere inches apart and his hand curls around her throat as he pulls her in for a soft kiss. She melts into his touch, losing herself in his kiss as she always does. His lips are warm and gentle, teasing her with a promise of more to come and she sighs breathlessly as her hand mirrors his and curls around his neck to hold him close. When he pulls back their eyes hold in the dim light from a halogen street light until he speaks again. "Welcome to Andorra, babe."

He gives her one last peck on the lips and then turns to get out of the car. She is slower to follow, still enjoying the tingle of his romantic moment. When she manages to pull herself together and get out, he already has the trunk open and is grabbing their bags for the night's stay.

* * *

As had become their tradition, each mission started with an intense night of making love and intense emotional bonding. This night was no different and they both anticipated it almost as much as they did the fine dishes of the region. Not quite as Spanish as the rest of Spain, the food was heavy on mountain raised lamb and beef. The difference was in the French influence which provided the rich flavors of the sauces and breads.

Their little inn proved to have one of the best restaurants around, if the crowd was anything to go by. They had to wait in the bar for about thirty minutes which was fine, because it gave them a chance to share a drink and unwind after their long drive earlier. Always conscious of those around them, they slipped into their undercover persona with ease. The French newlywed couple on vacation and looking forward to spending some time on the slopes in Soldeu.

For the most part they did not draw any attention since lots of French citizens vacationed in Andorra for the skiing and other mountain sports. The only person who seemed even remotely interested in their conversation was a young man sitting at the end of the bar, not far away. Gibbs decides to draw him in and find out what his interest is in them.

"Avez-vous été à Soldeu?"

"Oui, mais mon français n'est pas si bon. Spanish? English?"

"English is good. Come join us..." Gibbs motions for the man to take the seat beside them so they can talk easier. "We're going up for the skiing."

"Then you are a bit early in the season, my friend." The man takes the offered seat and leans around Jenny to shake Gibbs' hand. He nods to Jenny and adds, "I am Franco Johannes... and you are?"

"Lucia and this is my husband Jacob. We're on our honeymoon." She manages a bride's blushing smile as she leans back into Gibbs' chest. Gibbs drops a kiss on her head as his hands come to rest on her shoulders.

"So, why are we too early? Surely the snows have hit in the Pyrenees by late September."

"Yes and no. I work for one of the resorts as the ski instructor. Soldeu is a unique place in the mountains. It can stay warmer there than anywhere else and they do not get near the snow cover as other parts of the mountains."

"Really? Why is that?" Jenny pretends to have an intense interest in the conversation.

"It is the air flow off the Mediterranean Sea. Warm air rushes up the mountain through the pass where Soldeu is located and provides a much more balmy climate than other mountain top towns."

"If that is so, then why is Soldeu not the most populated town in the mountains?" They both see the hesitation in the other man before he takes a long sip and answers them.

"I guess because the space is limited there. The town sits nestled in a steep mountain valley is barely ten kilometers wide and twenty long. No room for that many people... and those who do live there... they like their solitude."

Just then the maître d' calls them for their dinner as a table has opened up. They say their goodbyes and move into the dining room, leaving Franco at the bar nursing his drink with a deep frown.

Once they are seated and have ordered their meal, they have time to talk quietly about the reaction their question got from Franco. He was obviously not a native to the area or he would have been fluent in Spanish and French. His name could be Spanish, but it also seemed off. His English was a little too good for a European and Jenny was sure he was hiding his British inflections. They decide to check him out further once they are back in their room and can make a call back to the NCIS office. It was always their first priority to identify any other players in their game... and determine which side they were on.

* * *

Back in their room, Gibbs uses the hotel phone to dial the trunk line at the NCIS office. This was the number they always used in case someone wanted to check on the numbers they called. The hotel's register would only log in that they made a phone call to a printing business in Paris. As part of their cover, Gibbs was a mid-level manager at the printing company this line came back to.

In reality, their call was then patched through from the NCIS switchboard to whatever in-house number they needed. This time, Gibbs asked for one of the other agents in the bullpen area and a moment later, Joe came on the line.

"Special Agent Stoddard."

"Joe, hey, its Gibbs. What are you still doing in the office so late?"

"Well, since our team leader and Agent Shepard never seem to be around to help out these days..."

"All right... I get the point. I'll make it up to you when we're back in Paris."

"So, exactly where are you and the lovely Agent Shepard playing house this time?"

"Soldeu."

"Sol... what?"

"Soldeu. Think ski slopes and mountain chalets in Andorra."

"I hate you... both of you. You know that, right?" Joe is only teasing because they seem to get all the assignments in exotic locations.

Gibbs just chuckles and grins over at Jenny who is also smiling; having heard the conversation and knows exactly what Joe's response has been. She calls out, "We love you too, Joe!"

"Yea, we know. Hey, can you do a work up on a guy for me? I need the intel before we leave for Soldeu in the morning. Guy's name is Franco Johannes. Claims he's a local ski instructor up there, but his French sucks and his English is off too. Sounds British, but I want to make sure before we run into him again."

"And... you think you will?"

"Yep, my gut says we will and I want to know who's team he's on before we do. Get back to me as soon as you can. We can be reached at this local inn... the number should have come up on your phone?"

"Got it. I'll be in touch." The line is disconnected and Gibbs drops the phone into the cradle so he can give his full attention to much more important matters.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Gibbs is lying on his back in the small room, listening to the almost perfect silence in this small town. There were no exterior lights, no traffic, no movements from the occupants of the other five rooms. It reminds him of his sniper missions, spending days lying on a ridge motionless and silent as he waited for his target to appear. Those nights the silence had been broken only by the occasional sounds of the wildlife in whatever part of the world he happened to be in at the time.

Now, the silence was punctuated by the soft whisper of breath against his chest as Jenny lays sleeping in the crook of his arm. He can't sleep on the night before a mission, which was probably why they always ended up having a long night locked in each other's arms. It was a few hours before dawn and they had already made love four times; finally reaching that exhausted state of perfect satisfaction. Jenny had drifted off to sleep in his arms almost immediately, but he wasn't so lucky.

His mind went over the details of their mission once more, troubling the details until every possible scenario was mapped out and stored for use in case that situation should arise. He works through them from the mere inconveniences of equipment failure, to logistical problems in locating their targets, to the worst case scenarios. Discovery, capture, injury or death to one or both of them. Gibbs knew without a doubt he would sacrifice his life to save Jenny. He would take on any number of armed assailants to give her the opportunity to get away cleanly. But his nagging gut told him she would do no such thing. If it came down to a shoot-out where they were trapped, Jenny would stay by his side fighting it out to the end with him. He sighs, wondering if he's trained her too well. Or maybe it was just his growing personal attachment to his partner that was clouding his views.

"What's got that gut of yours churning, Jethro?" Jenny had been awake for several minutes, feeling the tension in his body as his mind worked overtime.

"Nothin' I can put my finger on, babe. Just going over scenarios in my head."

"You see problems on this one?" She lifts her head to look at him, feeling his gaze more than seeing it in the near perfect darkness.

"I always see problems, Jen, you know that. The trick is being prepared... for anything." He strokes his hand through her hair, curling his fingers around her head as he draws her in for a gentle kiss. "Come here..."

The kiss is brief and sweet, but it doesn't end there as Jenny curves her body up over his and reclaims his lips for a more intense caress. They both feel the apprehension and with no outlet for the stress of the pre-mission jitters, they lose themselves in the moment. Her thigh glides up over his hips, brushing his manhood and a groan escapes his throat. His arms tighten around her, pulling her firmly onto his body until she is straddling his hips. Her hands cradle his head, fingertips raking gently through his short hair as she slants her mouth across his and deepens the kiss. There is urgency and need in her and Gibbs gives her the reassurance she needs as each kiss blends into the next.

His hands glide down over her satiny smooth back, slowing at the gentle flare of her hips before rounding to cup her ass in a possessive grip. He presses her down onto his shaft which is responding as always with throbbing eagerness. He arches his hips, stroking his shaft over her soft core until she moans and trembles at the slick friction. She finally pulls back, just far enough to catch her breath and whisper against his lips, "Mmnn, I need you..."

She tries to angle her hips to help his shaft find its way home, but Gibbs holds back, teasing her again as he grinds his hips against her. "Tell me... Jen... what do you need?"

She kisses a path to his ear, leaving a trail of tingling skin as she nips and sucks the sensitive skin of his neck. When her teeth latch onto his earlobe, Gibbs groans and jerks his hips up harder as his hands force her down. "That's what I need, Jethro." Her tongue slithers inside his ear and his whole body trembles as a low groan escapes him. "You inside me... all of you... aaahhh, yes!"

He holds her hips as this time when he arches up, his cock impales her in one swift move. They both moan as the pleasure of this moment overwhelms them once again. Jenny is the first to recover and raises her upper body off of his chest; grabbing onto the headboard for stability. She grinds her hips across his, feeling the thick length of him pressing deep in her belly. Her head drops forward, eyes wide with desire as she looks at the shadowy figure of her lover beneath her. His breathing is rapid, his fingers painful in their grip on her hips, but it is the tremor that runs through him at her next words that causes her to smile in the darkness.

"I need you... I want you... mmmnnn ahh, yes... right there... Jethro..."

As her words ooze into his consciousness, his entire body trembles and his hips arch up hard and fast, driving into her again. He feels her legs tense as she raises her body, keeping her weight off his hips so he has more freedom of movement. He controls her movement with his hands, holding her steady as he brings his feet up, bending his knees to give him added leverage. He arches his back and lifts them even further off the bed as he sets up a hard, fast rhythm. His hips slam into hers, causing her to rock forward with a breathless moan each time; bracing herself against the headboard with her arms. She loses herself in the moment, closing her eyes and listening to the slapping of skin on skin; their labored breaths as the momentum builds. Gibbs grits his teeth and continues the frenzied pace as his neck turns red and the arteries stand out under his skin. His breathing ratchets like a freight train gaining momentum and just when he thinks he can't hold the pace any longer, Jenny's whole body tenses as she cries out in ecstasy.

"Oh fuck! YES!" Her knuckles turn white against the headboard as she desperately tries to stay focused in a world suddenly spinning around her. Her thighs are shaking from the effort to hold her weight and she sags down onto her lover.

Gibbs takes advantage of her new position and arches his head up to clamp onto her nipple, holding it between his teeth as he lowers his head back down, pulling it painfully with him. A deep growl rises from his chest as he rams his shaft into her a few more times, feeling her trembling walls grip his cock so tight he can hardly move. She whimpers at the overwhelming sensations from his rough hold on her breast as his tongue flicks quickly over the sensitive nub between his teeth.

He drives hard and deep a few more times, then arches his whole body up as his teeth finally release her nipple. He cries out hoarsely and comes deep inside her; caught in the moment his body remains rigid until he can finally gasp in ragged breaths and slowly lower them back to the mattress beneath them. Jenny collapses onto his chest, her arms encircling their heads as she presses her lips to his throat, panting softly as she huskily whispers, "God, I love you..."

They lie there motionless for several minutes, just allowing the afterglow of their loving to ooze into every pore of their being. He manages to wrap his arms around her waist with one hand gently stroking small circles on her back. His muddled mind is just beginning to work again and he lies there wondering if she actually spoke the words he heard or did he imagine them. In all the time they have been together, Jenny had never once told him she loved him. Not that she didn't, but she had always been careful not to speak the words. Gibbs realized it was self-preservation for her... not saying the words would keep it from being real. And if it wasn't real, then she couldn't be hurt if something went wrong. He decides not to press his luck by commenting on it now and just kisses her temple as he rolls them onto their sides, facing each other in the dark. After a few gentle kisses and tenderly stroked fingers over her soft skin, Gibbs feels her body relaxing into sleep once more. He places on last kiss on her brow and smiles in the darkness; happy that she finally admitted her love.

* * *

The next morning Gibbs is up and showered shortly after the sun rises. He moves around as quietly as he can, then slips out of their room to leave Jenny to sleep a bit longer. His first mission was to locate coffee and luckily the innkeeper was a little old Spaniard who knew how coffee should be made. Gibbs sits on the front stoop with the Innkeeper, discussing the weather and the news of a snow storm up in the mountains overnight. The road Gibbs had planned on taking would not be a wise decision, according to the old man. Gibbs just nodded his thanks and went to refill his cup and get one for his partner before heading back to their room.

When he enters, he finds the bed empty and the bathroom door partially closed. He nudges it open with his foot and stops with a smile on his face. Jenny stands naked in the middle of the room, still glistening with water as she vigorously towels her wet hair dry. As she lowers the towel, she sees him and a fleeting thrill races down her spine at the desire glowing in his eyes. She smiles over at him, "You can put that coffee right there."

She gestures towards a clear spot on the counter and returns to towelling herself dry. She bends over to run the towel down each leg, but when she stands up, she bumps into a hard chest directly behind her. His now free hand snakes out around her waist and pulls her back gently as he kisses her shoulder.

"Good morning." His lips begin a teasing trek up her throat and she allows herself the pleasure until he begins nibbling on her ear.

"Need I remind you that because you let me oversleep... again, we're now running late and don't have time for this?"

"I'm the one who was awake all night, Jen." He grins at her reflection in the mirror and she can't help but return it.

"I was there, remember? And for the record, some sex crazed man didn't allow me to get much sleep either."

"Which is why I let you sleep in." He turns her slowly around until she is facing him and then pulls her in close to give her a proper kiss. When he pulls back, he gives her a quick peck on the nose before he adds, "You're gonna have to take the tunnel up to Soldeu today... snow storm in the mountains last night closed down the route I had planned."

"Oh, darn... guess you won't get to have your fun at me being car sick then. And why exactly do I have to drive?"

"Cause' some sex crazed woman kept me up all night... I need to get some rest before we get there."

He pats her on the butt and gives her a wink before leaving her to finish getting ready. She stares after him with her hands on her hips; debating whether to argue his point, but then she smiles and shakes her head. It was their normal routine at the start of a mission and she always ended up driving in while he slept to catch up on the sleep she didn't let him get the night before.

Gibbs uses this time to contact the NCIS office and see what Joe has turned up. He is put through quickly and he isn't surprised to find Joe already in the office. "Hey, what did you find out on our friendly ski instructor?"

"Your ski guy is MI6, Gibbs. Name of Martin James, so you were right about the British accent. I didn't want to raise any alarms by snooping around about him, so I wasn't able to find out what his goal is up there."

"He working alone?" Gibbs glances out the window as a car door closes and he watches the girl who works as the day maid approaching the building.

"Hard to say. Those MI6 guys are loners, but that isn't to say he doesn't have a partner. Guy would be stupid to go into Andorra without backup."

Gibbs hears the scolding tone in his friend's voice and knows he is talking about them. He sighs and gives a quick glance towards the bathroom door before he continues. "Yeah, I hear ya. Joe, keep this between you and me, but since you know our situation..."

"... and the director's position on the mission, officially." Joe doesn't tell him that he's already implemented his own backup plan for Gibbs and Jenny, unofficially of course.

"Just keep your phone close... all right? I got a bad feeling about this one."

"No problem, my friend. I got your back... even if it is long distance. Take care out there."

Gibbs is just hanging up the phone when Jenny enters the room and begins to dress. She gives him a questioning glance and he proceeds to fill her in on the weather report and the true identity of Marco Johannes. Jenny doesn't say anything, but she's glad he turned out to be an operative from a government friendly to their own. They have done joint operations with MI6 in the past and they had a good working relationship.

After stowing their bag in the back of their car, they grab a quick breakfast of hard rolls and country cheese before refilling their coffee and heading out for their trip to Soldeu.

* * *

Jenny isn't surprised when Gibbs is snoring softly before they even reach the tunnel ten kilometers back down the road they came in on. She takes the tunnel, which is a modern marvel. Having been carved out of the mountain it literally cut through the Pyrenees while rising at a steady grade until it opened out onto the old two lane switchback road, a few kilometers before town.

It is late afternoon when they arrive in Soldeu and she gives Gibbs a gentle shake to wake him before they get to the ski lodge where they'll be staying. He sits up and stretches, feeling completely refreshed after his long nap. One of the lasting effects of his time as a marine was the ability to sleep anywhere and anytime.

As they locate the lodge and pull into the parking lot, they see a few other guests coming back from a day on the slopes. Apparently the fresh powder had brought out a few enthusiasts who wanted to be first on the slopes this season. They grab their gear and head inside, taking everything except the skis strapped to the roof of the car. This wasn't like those touristy places where you had to be afraid of theft... the Catalonian terrorist cell here wasn't about to let some petty thieves draw attention to their little hideout in the mountains.

After checking in, they are walking towards the stairs when they see a familiar face. They are not surprised to run into the ski instructor again, but this time they are armed with his identity. They had decided over breakfast not to let on they knew who he was unless he brought it up... or they were in a desperate situation and needed help fast. Their mission was top-secret and as far as they were concerned MI6 hadn't been read in on it.

They agree to meet for drinks after dinner in the lodge's bar after they've settled into their room and gotten something to eat. Martin is as friendly as ever and never gives a hint as to his true identity. Waving as he leaves them, Gibbs suddenly feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He makes a point of turning to her and leaning in for a quick kiss as his eyes scan the room. He doesn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he can't shake the feeling they are being watched. His gut is churning, but he keeps it to himself as they heads up the stairs to their second story room.

Once they have stashed their gear and unpacked their bags, Gibbs wants to test the gut feeling he had in the lobby. "Hey, let's take a walk around town before dinner. I need to stretch my legs after that long drive."

"Sure. We have plenty of time and I'd like to check out the shops we passed on the way here." She grins, happy to get a little down time to do some shopping.

As they are about to head out of the room, Gibbs picks up his gun and stuffs it into the back of his waistband. He hands Jenny her smaller version and when she raises a brow in question he just shrugs and says, "We're outside the wire, Jen. You can never be too careful."

She rolls her eyes at his insistence on always being prepared for anything and shoves her gun down the back of her waistband as he had done. They cover them up with the heavy ski jackets they put on and venture out into the town. On the front steps of the lodge Gibbs pauses, pretending to enjoy the scenery and breathe in the fresh air as he scans left to right for anything suspicious. When he sees nothing, he takes her hand and they set off down the road towards the shops.

As they stroll around town, to anyone watching it appeared they were just window shopping and enjoying what the small town had to offer. Gibbs gave the impression he wasn't interested in anything except the pretty redhead hanging on his arm, but he used the tactics he'd learned over the years to keep track of who was moving with them or appeared to be following their path. His feeling that they were being watched was even stronger and he finally noticed a short man with a beaver skin trappers hat paying too much attention to where ever they happened to be standing.

He tugs on Jenny's hand to bring her up short as she slowly walks past a shop, gazing in the window. He turns her back to face him and then gently backs her up against the glass pane as he steps in to kiss her. She is smiling, but when her eyes meet his her smile fades. She spotted the man tailing them too. She kisses him in return, looping her arms up around his shoulders so it would appear they are just too lovers. When he finally releases her lips she whispers, "Short guy?"

"Yep, fur hat two stores west on the other side of the street."

Jenny leans in to place a kiss on his ear as she glances quickly in the direction he indicated. She sees the man standing with his back to them, but the reflection in the glass clearly shows his eyes on them. While continuing with their lover's pretense, she whispers back, "Olive skinned, could be Spaniard or Andorran."

"Let's just keep moving and make our way back to the lodge. I had a feeling we were being watched in the lobby, but I wasn't sure until now."

"And were you gonna tell me about this feeling, buddy?"

"What? I just did."

He grins at her and takes her hand as he heads off down the street, playfully pulling her along with him. She makes a mental note to have a chat with him about keeping these gut feelings to himself. They were partners and if he was hinky about something... she needed to know it. They pretend to look at a few more shops, but casually wind their way back to the lodge. As Gibbs holds the door for her, he turns slightly and sees the short man stopping beside a steel grey SUV parked along the street. He makes a mental note to try to locate it later and get a plate off of it.

After dinner, they make their way to the bar and find two seats at the far end. Gibbs is just ordering their drinks when they see Martin walk in. He is wearing his ski suit and has apparently been fulfilling his cover as the ski instructor. He shakes off his jacket and hangs it on the back of the bar stool as he walks up to them with a smile.

Quick handshakes and pleasantries are exchanged while they wait to see what interest this man has in them. To their surprise, he sticks to his cover and they spend the next hour discussing which slopes are good for skiing right now and which ones to avoid. He sketches out a rough map of the town on a napkin, highlighting the ski routes. Then with a quick glance around to ensure they aren't being overheard, Martin traces two other areas onto the map. With that, he slides the map over to Jenny and gives her a wink before standing up. "Those are some very good slopes on private land that I highly recommend you try out tomorrow."

Gibbs and Jenny examine the map he drew and notice there is an 'X' written in at the north end of town. It lies directly in between the two private property ski slopes he had strongly recommended they check out. It doesn't take long for them to figure out Martin was pointing them to two possible positions for their mission. Okay... so Martin knew who they were and what their mission was... but what was he up to?

* * *

Early the next morning they set out with their packs looking like they were heading out to ski for the day. Instead they drive to the last public ski slope on the north end of town and parked in the lot before detaching their skis and heading for the lift ticket office. If they were being followed they wanted to give the impression they were just going to hit the slopes and enjoy the fresh powder like everyone else. Luckily lots of others had the same idea and even at this early hour the slopes were filling up.

Taking the lift to the top of the highest run, they stood around talking and examining their equipment until the majority of the crowd that came up with them was on their way back down the mountain. Gibbs and Jenny were both adequate skiers, so it wasn't the height or steepness of this run that delayed them. Instead, they waited for their moment and skied slowly onto the slope, then angled towards a break in the trees to the north and slipped into it without being seen.

Once out of sight, they quickly removed their skis and hid them on the back side of a large pine tree. Removing their compact snow shoes from their packs, they strapped them on and took off at a slow jog. They needed to make it across three miles of the mountain face and find a good spot to settle in and do some surveillance on the compound Martin had marked with an 'X' on their map.

It takes them about forty minutes to navigate through the fresh snow, being careful to stay under the cover of thick stands of trees. At some points they had to climb higher on the slope to maintain the tree line and avoid being seen walking across a pristine open meadow. Jenny is breathing hard, even though she was an avid runner and averaged five miles a day. She just wasn't used to trekking through deep snow in snow shoes while carrying a twenty pound pack on her back. Gibbs on the other hand was only slightly winded and seemed to be enjoying himself. He had to keep the pace slow so she could keep pace with him and unsuccessfully hid his smirk of amusement when they stopped finally and she leaned against the tree, gasping for air.

"Not... funny... Gibbs... you... just... come... on a... run... with me... and... we'll... see who... gets winded."

"Got no doubt... you run like... a Gazelle on flat land... Jen." He takes three deep breaths and forces his breathing to slow to normal before he continues. "But even a Gazelle would get winded running... through this... on a slope."

They remove their packs and decide to take a rest since they made pretty good time cutting across the face of the mountain. The last thing they wanted to do was get sweaty inside their ski suits, because that would lead to a drop in body temperature that could be dangerous out in the wilderness. Jenny takes several long drinks from her water bottle and then hands it over to Gibbs who does the same.

"What are you thinking?"

Gibbs stares out from the edge of the tree line for a long moment and then gestures towards the valley and answers. "Thinkin' that plume of smoke is from our target's compound. Haven't glimpsed any other structures for the past mile so it's got to be the 'X'."

Jenny stands beside him and raises the binoculars to her eyes, careful to shield the glass from the direct sun so as not to have a glint of light reflected and give away their position. She scans all along the tree line before handing him the glasses. "Can't see much detail from here. We need to scout out a better location... maybe down that ridge a bit."

Gibbs copies her actions with the binoculars and scans the area as well. He lowers the glasses and is about to turn and ask her if she's rested enough to continue. When he turns she already has her pack on and is standing there waiting for him to get his gear on. He shakes his head and tosses the pack onto his back before tucking the binoculars back into hers. He heads off down the mountain being careful to stay inside the cover of the trees until they reach the outcropping of rock she had indicated earlier.

They crouch down and hurry across a brief opening until they can take cover behind some boulders standing out in stark contrast to the smooth snow all around them. Their tracks are hidden by the jumble of smaller rocks along the ridge so anyone flying overhead wouldn't immediately notice them. They sit down with their backs to the boulders and remove their packs once more. Then the snow shoes come off.

Gibbs takes the binoculars she hands him and creeps up onto his knees until he can find a spot to peer through the boulders and get a glimpse of the large house sitting all by itself in the valley about five hundred meters below. He studies the buildings and the exterior fencing which is tall and lined with nasty looking razor wire.

"Definitely not a rabbit farm with fencing like that. I count four pole cameras on all corners and one at the entrance gate. House has two guards patrolling the exterior. Can't see any weapons, but from the bulk of their coats I'd say they've got assault rifles under there. The out building looks like a shop or a large garage... no activity, but the ground is cleared of snow in front of it so it must be used regularly."

Jenny is taking notes in a pad she produced from her pack, documenting everything he tells her. "How many people do you make out?"

"Not many right now... eight... no ten. They're coming back and forth between the house and the shop. I'd love to know what's going on in there."

"No, Jethro. Our mission is to..."

He turns around to flop down beside her with an exasperated expression on his face. "I know, Jen... just sayin..."

She waves her note pad at him and Gibbs reluctantly returns to his position to continue calling out the facts as he sees them. They are there for about two hours when Gibbs finally says the words she's been waiting to here.

"Target one acquired." She jots down the time and the name of their prime target, then waits for more. A few minutes later, Gibbs confirms a sighting of their second target, "Target two acquired. Getting into a black Hummer with a driver and one guard. Second black Hummer taking the lead with four more guards inside... and they're heading out the gate."

He again flops down and hands her the glasses before pulling out his water bottle and drinking half of it down. He hands it to her and when she has drunk her fill, he motions towards the mountain. "You wanna use the snow shoes on the way back or do without?"

"The snow isn't more than a foot deep along our track. Let's leave them here and make the trek back quicker. We'll pick them up tomorrow if conditions change when we return."

He nods his agreement and then takes a moment to ensure their snow shoes are buried in the snow between the two boulders to hide them before slipping his pack on. They once again crouch low, almost crawling along the ridge to stay below the level of the boulders until they are back in the relative safety of the trees. They hike back up to their original horizontal path across the mountain face. Not wanting to be gone from the ski slopes too long and raise suspicions, they jog back through the woods, retracing their steps until they end up back at the spot where they stashed their skis.

They strap them on and wait for a lull in the number of skiers heading down the slope before they slip out and fall into the now well worn tracks made by numerous other skiers while they were gone. At the bottom, they skid to a stop and exchange a smile before stepping out of their skis and carrying them over to the rack. Standing them up in the rack, they head inside to enjoy some lunch.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

For the next two days, they follow a similar routine of heading out to ski, then sneaking off through the high ridgeline of trees to their sniper nest behind the boulders above the terrorist compound. The routine appears to be pretty consistent with little to no activity around the compound until mid-afternoon when their two targets emerge from the main house, climb into the Hummer with their guards and head out in a caravan of two vehicles.

Gibbs noticed the route they took was not always the same after they left the safety of the compound so their only sure thing would be to hit them when they came out of the house one afternoon. They had yet to determine where they were heading every afternoon, but that wasn't really important to their mission. They were sent here to take out the two main leaders of this group and they could accomplish that from this very spot behind the rocks on the hill overlooking their compound.

That night, he and Jenny discuss their plan and as usual, Gibbs tries to convince her he can handle the mission by himself and doesn't need her to come along. And, as he knew she would, Jenny argued right back that this was not a mission for one person since the first shot would cause the terrorists to panic, even if it hit his mark and his chances at a second shot would be reduced to slim and none as they broke for cover. Any chance at a second hit was out of the question after that since they would undoubtedly change their location, their routine and possibly even launch an offensive against them if they were as organized as their intel made them out to be.

* * *

The next day, Gibbs and Jenny stayed in their room preparing for their mission. Guns were cleaned and broken down to be concealed in their backpacks. The magazines were loaded and stored with their handguns in a separate pouch of the packs. The equipment in their backpacks was checked and double checked to ensure everything needed was there. Unnecessary items were left behind in the vehicle since they would not be returning to this hotel room after the job was done. Their mission was to get in, do their jobs and get out cleanly and quickly. The less time spent in an area meant the less chance they'd be discovered or captured.

When the time was right, they silently loaded up their car, looking for all intents and purposes as if they were heading out for another day of skiing on the slopes to the north of town. As they drove out of the parking lot, Gibbs notices the steel grey SUV parked along the street once more. He makes a mental note of the license plate and then turns away from the vehicle as they head out to the slopes. To his surprise, the vehicle doesn't follow them.

"That steel grey SUV that short guy got into the other day was sitting there again, but it didn't follow us. Jot down the plate so we can check on it later." He waits for her to pull out some paper and a pen, "Alpha, tango, delta, nine, two, seven, one. Plates are from Spain."

"Maybe he wasn't interested in us... although he did follow us around town that first day."

"Yeah, but that was only after he saw us talking to that MI6 guy. Maybe he's watching him since he's at that same lodge. It's not a coincidence that he followed us... so be alert out there today."

She just nods, knowing how focused Gibbs was when it came to their missions. She had no doubt the man who had followed them that day was up to something, she just didn't think it had anything to do with their mission.

When they arrive at the ski slopes, they follow their normal routine. Taking the skis off the car-top carrier and then slipping their backpacks on over their ski jackets. The packs are heavy with the weaponry in them, but no one watching them would know that since they replaced the water bottles and other items used on previous days with their guns. Only one water bottle was allowed now since they knew their time frame and didn't plan to spend the whole day out there watching the compound as they did on the previous days.

"Ready?"

"Yep, let's do this." Jenny heads off ahead of him towards the lift ticket office as they've done each of the past three days.

They scan the surrounding skiers as they wait for the lift that will take them to the top of the mountain again. No one draws their suspicions, but a couple of them are talking about the ski conditions and how the powder was quickly becoming compacted and not as good now. Another skier joins the conversation to say that it won't last since another large storm is due in and they were expecting about a foot of fresh snow overnight. Gibbs gives Jenny a glance and she just smiles until they are away from the others on their lift seat.

"Glad we're gonna be in and out of there quickly today with that new storm rolling in tonight."

"Glad the snow shoes are out there in case that forecast is off on when it's supposed to hit."

At the top of the lift they get off and follow their normal routine of moving off to a secluded area and waiting for the other skiers to go ahead of them. They take their time prepping their skis, adjusting their packs and when they are finally ready, the upper slopes are deserted for the moment. Gibbs lowers his glasses down over his eyes and then nods to his partner before pushing off and sending his skis at an angle along the upper slope. Jenny follows closely behind and within seconds they have reached their cut off in the trees and disappeared from sight.

They waste no time in removing their skis and stashing them behind some brush and trees. They set off along their path, almost cleared of snow now from their frequent treks along it. The jogging pace they set is easier now since they've become better acclimated to the high altitude and they arrive at the clearing in only thirty minutes.

Once again they stop under the cover of the trees and Gibbs checks his watch to ensure they are on schedule. Taking a few minutes to rest and drink some water before they move into position, Gibbs uses this time to go over their plan one more time.

"Okay, sixteen-ten hours the Hummers are brought around to the front."

"Sixteen-thirteen hours the guards line up alongside the vehicles and open the doors."

"Sixteen-fifteen hours target number one, my target, exits the house and stands on the porch talking to his driver."

"Sixteen-sixteen hours target number two, my target, exits the house and joins target number one on the porch."

"Targets move towards the second Hummer with target number one moving to the front passenger door while target number two moves towards the back passenger door."

"We take out the targets simultaneously before they enter the vehicle. Then we hike out of here, ski back down to our car and get the hell out of here."

"Remember, if this thing goes south... get to your skis and shoot down this mountain as fast as you can. They'll be looking for a high angle shooter, not someone in the valley below."

"Got it... I'll be right behind you since you'll be doing the same thing, right?"

"Jen, if they launch an offensive I'll stay behind and cover your exit. I'm trained in becoming invisible and taking evasive action."

"Yeah, I know, but let's just get this job done and get out of here clean so we don't have to test your skills, okay?"

He smiles and nods at her stern order, knowing she was always nervous before a hit. They work their way down the tree line until they reach the rock lined ridge. On their hands and knees, they crawl out to the larger boulders they have been using for cover all week. Once there, Gibbs removes his pack and pulls out his binoculars to get a first look at the complex today. He kneels behind the boulder and looks down to see nothing out of the ordinary.

When he sits back down beside her, Jenny already has her sniper rifle out, assembled and loaded. Gibbs grins at her and hands her his pack as he takes her gun from her to inspect it. This was their normal routine, checking and double checking each other to ensure nothing went wrong. They sit waiting for the time to pass, checking on the activity below periodically.

When Gibbs checks his watch once more it is five minutes after four. He grabs his gun and rises to his knees, slowly bringing the long barrel up through the crack in the rocks until he has it sighted in on the compound below. He has a tinted scope cover to ensure no sun glare catches the front glass. When he is set, he nods to Jenny and then watches as she moves into her position along the opposite side of the same boulder. "Set. Eye on the prize."

She slowly settles her gun into a crevice and pulls her hood up over her head to disguise her red hair. She repeats his words back to him so he knows she is ready. "Set, eye on the prize."

Gibbs smirks and does the same, but his reason is more to keep the sun out of his eyes since his hair blends in quite well with the surround rock and snow. He twists his wrist slightly to check the time and then calls out the time to her. "Sixteen-ten hours..."

"And here come the Hummers, right on schedule."

They wait silently, each watching the activity through the scopes of their rifles as the terrorists do exactly what they've done for the past three days. The cars are brought up, the guards open the doors and stand by as their targets appear on the porch. A moment later, as they step off the porch on their way to the Hummer two simultaneous trigger pulls send the high velocity rounds speeding towards their targets. The two men jerk suddenly and then fall almost at the same moment as a crack of thunder rolls off the mountain. This single loud report of their rifle shots quickly echoes off the adjacent hills, causing the guards to duck for cover.

The chaos that breaks out in the compound is expected as Gibbs and Jenny quickly drop their rifles down to the ground to avoid being seen by anyone training binoculars up the hill in their direction. They hear shouting and panic in the voices of most of the guards, but one deep booming voice seems to be taking control. Gibbs chances a quick look up over his boulder to see what is going on and notices both targets lying unmoving on the ground where they dropped. The man who has taken over is the driver of the second Hummer. He snaps out orders from the cover of his vehicle's bumper, still not sure where the shots came from.

Gibbs sees the man motioning towards the large shop, calling out orders that Gibbs can't make out. His binoculars scan to the shop, wondering what they are so intent on doing there. He sees two men jerking the doors open, while trying to look around for the next volley of shots which may find them. When the doors are pulled open to their full extent, Gibbs strains his eyes into the shadowy depths to see what is inside.

What he sees sends a chill down his spine as he realizes the boulders are not going to provide them adequate cover much longer. He quickly drops down to his knees beside Jenny who has dismantled their rifles and stored them back inside their packs. "Oh shit! We gotta go, Jen... Move it! NOW!"

Startled by his sudden panic, Jenny takes a moment to rise up onto her knees and peer over the boulder's edge to see what has him so spooked. She gasps in shock as she sees the frantic men quickly rolling a small, two-seater helicopter out of the shop. The area in front of the shop had been cleared, but the reason was not understood until this moment. It was the landing zone for the small chopper. She doesn't get a chance to see any more as Gibbs yanks her back down beside him and shoves her pack into her hands. He has his pack on and shoving her towards the tree line as he swears under his breath at this stroke of bad luck.

Jenny quickly wriggles into her pack and then takes off towards the trees, keeping as low as she can as the distant whine of the rotors being started up reaches them. The distance seems to be twice as long to get to the relative safety of the tree line, but once there, they race up the hill to their original path and waste no time racing back the way they came. Within minutes they hear the chopper climbing into the sky and heading their way. It hadn't taken them long to realize which direction the shots must have come from. Another minute and it quickly skims overhead, barely clearing the tree tops as the two occupants scan the ground for signs of the intruders.

Gibbs drags Jenny to a stop as the chopper circles overhead once more. They sit motionless, panting hard as they crouch under the thick undergrowth to wait out the circling threat overhead. When the chopper moves off to the north again, they are up and running once more. As they reach the large clearing that they previously skirted around to avoid marking the fresh snow by their passage, Jenny is in the lead. Not hearing the chopper overhead, she makes the snap decision to save time by cutting across the meadow instead of climbing up and around it to stay in the trees. Gibbs sees her charge out into the open and knows instantly it is the wrong decision.

"Jen... no! Not straight across!" She doesn't seem to hear him and he knows he can't leave his partner out there unprotected. He charges out after her and just hopes they can make it across without leaving too much of an obvious trail from above.

Thankfully most of the snow had melted until it was only a few inches deep and sparsely defined in patches. Being only twenty yards wide, they are almost across when the silence of the mountain is shattered by the predatory thumping of the helicopter blades. It suddenly appears over the opposite tree line behind them. Jenny feels Gibbs grab her from behind and shove her into the trees as the passenger in the chopper quickly raises his rifle on the single target he sees below. Gibbs has just made it between two trees when a shot rings out from above; barely audible above the hovering chopper's rotors.

Although not the best shot, the bullet hits its mark in the upper center of his target's back. They see the man's arms fly up and his body fall forward into the tree line, then lie there unmoving as the red stain slowly spreads across his white coat. The chopper hovers overhead for long moments as they debate trying to land in the small meadow. The pilot refuses to comply since the terrain is so slanted and uneven.

Gibbs lies perfectly still, trying to ignore the fireball of pain ripping through his chest with every breath. His head is to the side and his eyes are focused on his partner, lying prone not five feet from him. He draws in a torturous breath and keeps his voice as calm as he can as he warns her to stay back.

"Jen... don't... aaahhh... move..."

"Jethro! You're hit!" She can see the chopper hovering overhead and remains still as she slowly reaches her hand out towards him, but she can't reach him.

It seems to take forever before the chopper circles around once more and then heads off towards the compound to alert the others to this location. Once she is sure the chopper is gone, Jenny rushes to his side and quickly turns him over, resting his head on her leg as he lets out a rough groan of pain. She is gasping for air after their frantic run, but more than that, it is the rising panic inside her. She rips open his jacket to inspect the injury and is relieved to see the bullet appears to have passed through the upper right portion of his chest. If there was anything positive about what just happened, it was that the bullet appeared to have missed the vital organs.

Jenny doesn't see that the bullet struck his pack directly over his spine, slammed into his rifle stock inside his pack and veered off to the right before entering his body. This saved Gibbs from being paralyzed or killed instantly, but it also sent a shower of large wood splinters into his back. With this injury hidden under his pack, Jenny has no way of knowing how deeply the wood splinters penetrated or how closely one sits lodged next to his spine.

Jenny rips her pack from her back and grabs the small towel she carried to wipe down their guns. She stuffs it under his white coat, which was quickly becoming stained red with his blood. Pressing down on the wound, causes Gibbs to groan in pain and momentarily revive from his stupor.

"Jen... go..." His breathing is raspy and labored as he fights to keep his eyes open and focused on her. "Get out... of... here..."

"Jethro... I am not leaving you!" She ignores his desperate plea as her eyes quickly scan the sky above. "They couldn't land... so they'll head back to the compound to regroup." She is now slinging her pack back on her shoulders as she kneels beside him and continues her verbal assessment of their situation. "We got maybe twenty minutes to get moving and find a place to hide out before they get here."

"NO! Get... out... now..." Gibbs' words trail off as his strength fades from the effort of trying to speak. His eyes can no longer stay focused on her and as hard as he tries to raise his hand, it won't obey. The world is turning dark as his vision fades and with one last grimace of pain, everything goes dark.

Jenny refuses to even consider leaving him behind and can only concentrate on getting them out of this spot before the search party gets here. She grabs him by the shoulders of his jacket and begins drag him down the hill to an outcropping of boulders beneath their location. Logic told her she wouldn't be able to pull him up the mountain to their well-worn path so this was her only option.

At the boulders, Jenny is relieved to see a cluster of fallen trees that overlap and cover a portion of the rocks. It is dead growth, but not so old that the needles have dropped off the fallen trees. She lays her partner gently down and then ducks under the branches to see what option they provide for cover and concealment. To her surprise, the fallen trees are hiding the entrance to a small cave; not more than six feet deep and only a few feet high, but it was a five-star resort to her right now. She stands still for a moment, holding her breath as she listens for signs of the chopper returning. There was no way the searchers would be up here this quickly and she could only hope this tech savvy group of terrorists didn't have snow mobiles. In looking back towards the spot where Gibbs fell, Jenny suddenly sees it... the bright red trail of his blood. A beacon on the forest floor leading anyone directly to their location!

She quickly pushes back a couple of branches, then grabs Gibbs by the shoulders again to drag him inside the small cave. It takes all her strength to manhandle his dead weight into the small space and out of sight from anyone walking past the downed trees. With this done, she rests on her knees gasping for breath while checking to ensure his pulse is still steady... if not as strong as it normally was. She doesn't have the luxury of time to worry about him right now and forces herself to move away from him with an emotional whisper.

"I love you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs... don't you dare die on me."

She rips her pack from her back and leaves it under his head before scooting out from under the branches and out into the open. Once again she takes a moment to listen carefully, but hearing nothing she stands up to quickly ensure they won't be discovered. She yanks a branch from the fallen tree, its two-inch limb snapping easily under her adrenaline induced strength. She then runs back up the mountain side to the location where Gibbs was shot. Using the branch's many smaller shoots and needles, she sweeps the ground vigorously to erase any trace of his blood and her footprints. She does this as fast as possible, backing down the hill to avoid leaving new foot prints in the soft, wet earth.

Luckily for her, the forest floor was thick with pine needles and dead plant material in this winter season, but very little snow. This helped her hide the bright red blood stains that would have stood out sharply against snow. With their trail erased, she examines it to ensure there is no trace to lead towards them. She grabs up a handful of bloodstained pine needles and hops over the trunk of one fallen tree to take a different path up the mountain. Finding their original path, she follows it back until she is above the spot where Gibbs was shot, she takes a deep breath and then begins to back down the mountain, intentionally making footprints which would indicate he ran up the hill towards the path.

In her overactive mind, Jenny has replayed the shooting over and over. She is certain they had not seen her in the trees because Gibbs had shoved her farther under cover before they rose over the tree line. If they had seen her in there, more shots would have rung out and she would most likely have been hit too. For this reason, Jenny is not careful to step into her original footprints heading back up to the trail so it appears only one person made this trek. She carefully sprinkles the bloodstained needles along the way to lay a false trail for their pursuers to follow. She then backtracks to her path up the hill and uses another branch to erase her tracks as she heads back down the hill to their hiding place. Jenny quickly ducks under the branches and reaches out to erase all marks of her entrance in the dead undergrowth. She notices the flutter of fat white snow flakes drifting down between the trees and sighs, both with relief and despair. The new snow will help to hide their trail, but will ultimately make it much more difficult to get off the mountain now.

She then retreats back into the small cave where Gibbs lies motionless, unconscious and possibly dying. She quickly rolls him to one side, then the other so she can remove his bulky pack and allow him to lie flat. She notes the blood on the back of his coat, but misses the multiple entry points through the blood soaked material. Digging in his pack, she digs out everything she can use for first aid and lays them beside her in the gloom. She is more terrified he will die up here on this mountain than being discovered at this moment and works quickly to do what she can to stop the bleeding.

With the small towels from their packs wedged against the holes in his chest, front and back, Jenny wraps a length of soft rope around his chest to hold them tightly in place. With that done, she pulls out their emergency vial of morphine and the syringe. It isn't much and she forces her hands to stop shaking so she can administer the shot to him. It wasn't much, but maybe easing his pain would give him the edge he needed to survive long enough for Jenny to figure out how to get them off this mountain alive.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

With everything done that she can do right now, Jenny finally sits quietly in their little cave. Listening for the sound of voices, radios or heavy boots tramping through the undergrowth. She is tense and hyper-alert as the minutes tick by and rarely takes her eyes off the dimly lit entrance to their hiding place. It dawns on her after several minutes that her breathing sounds extremely loud in her own ears and she concentrates on calming it by taking long, slow breaths and holding it for a moment before letting it escape silently.

She glances down to check on Gibbs, who's breathing was faint at best. She held her hand in front of his nose to let the slight puffs of air waft over her fingers and it sends a chill down her spine. She reaches over to grasp his left arm, pulling it up until she can see the time on his watch. Surprisingly only thirty minutes have gone by since they pulled the triggers and ended the lives of their targets. Now those terrorists loyal to them and their cause were mounting a search party to hunt them down. There wasn't anything she could do but sit quietly in this hole in the rock with her Sig on her lap and hope she was successful in laying out her false trail.

Just then she hears a crunching of twigs and her breath catches in her throat. She listens intently as another crunch and then a whispered command drifts to her. She raises her gun and aims it at the opening, using both hands to steady the trembling. The voices are low and hushed, but dangerously close enough she can hear them. They are speaking Spanish with the Andorran dialect she has come to recognize since their arrival here.

They have found the spot where Gibbs went down as one mentions the blood stained ground. One man is insisting his shot was good because of the obvious blood. Another jokes that his shot obviously wasn't good enough because the guy was able to get up and walk away. A third who, appears to be the leader, snaps at them to shut up and get back to following the trail. She hears them crunching through the underbrush and as the sound gets farther away she sighs in relief. They have taken the bait and followed the trail up the hill.

Not daring to move in case they have doubled back... or even left one of their men at the location where his body dropped, Jenny sits tensely waiting with her gun at the ready. When her arms begin to shake from the stress of holding the heavy Sig up in front of her, she slowly lets it come down to rest on her bent knee. Still aimed at the front entrance, but now allowing her tired arms to rest. She remains like this until the last bit of light fades from the entrance and there is a noticeable drop in the temperature.

Night has fallen over the mountains and Jenny blindly reaches for his wrist again, pushing the knob to illuminate the dial of his watch. It was almost seven now and she is shocked to realize how long she has kept vigil on the entrance. She doesn't dare use the small flashlight in her pack for fear of alerting the men searching the mountain outside. She has no way of knowing if they continued on the path or turned back to retrace their steps.

After another hour, her throat is so dry she can hardly swallow and slowly opens one pack and then the other, silently searching with her hands until she finds the water bottle. It is a little over half full and she takes only a few sparing sips. She then lifts Gibbs head and finds his mouth with her fingers before gently tilting the bottle against his lips to allow a few drops to trickle into his mouth. They needed to conserve what they have... since she has no way of knowing how long they will be stuck on this mountain... or if they'll get off at all.

She shivers as the temperature continues to slowly drop, making the rock floor of the cave very uncomfortable to sit on. She decides to conserve their heat and energy as best she can and slowly creeps towards the entrance. Pausing to listen for anything suspicious outside before making a move, Jenny leans out to gather in handfuls of pine needles as silently as she can. She forms a large pile and then pushes them back into the cave and repeats this until she has gathered all the needles she can reach without moving out into the open. She arranges the needles along the back wall in a mattress and then carefully drags her partner onto them, placing him against the wall where she can best conserve what body heat they will produce.

She then uses their packs as pillows and lays down with her back to him, careful not to bump his wounds, but close enough to share her body heat with him. She keeps her eyes on the entrance and her gun in her hand as she finally allows her body to relax and release the tension of the past several hours. She lies there listening to the wind sighing through the pine trees with one ear and Gibbs' soft breathing with the other. The forest is eerily silent and Jenny can only picture the steadily falling snow in her mind and wonder if they'll buried in this cave by morning.

* * *

Jenny wakes with a startled gasp and her gun automatically rises to point at the entrance. It is pitch black and she lies tensely listening for the noise that startled her awake. After a few moments she hears it again, a soulful baying of a wolf in the distance. She sits up, suddenly worried that a pack of wolves have picked up on the blood scent under the fresh snow and will track them to this cave. She waits tensely for almost an hour, but the wolf howls only once more and this time it seems much farther away. She sighs tiredly and lowers her gun, wondering what time it could be. She feels around in the dark, twisting to find Gibbs wrist again and bumping her head on the rough rock ceiling of the cave. Suppressing a groan of pain, she finds his arm and pulls it up to again illuminate the dial. It was two-thirty in the morning and she knows sleep is out of the question for her again.

She scoots over beside her silent partner and gently runs her fingers over his hair, then his face until she feels the soft puffs of warm breath leaving him. She sits there in the total darkness and near perfect silence. A smile jerks at her mouth briefly as she softly asks, "What would you do, Gibbs?" She has been his partner long enough to know he would have a plan all laid out in the event this scenario occurred, but she didn't. So she sits there going over the situation and their options so when the time comes to move out, she will have a plan that might just save his life. She just prays Gibbs regains consciousness soon so he can help her get him off mountain. If he doesn't, she will have to carry his dead weight all the way down to their car... and she had serious doubts that she could make it that far.

While sitting there, she finds herself having flashbacks to that night in Paris when her employee, Andy, had gone missing. Not being able to find him, not knowing if he was alive or dead... the stress was unbearable and it fills her with fear. She can't stand thought of losing Gibbs. To keep her mind off that topic, Jenny does a mental inventory of everything in their packs and how it could be of use to her now. She slowly begins to form a plan and needing something to do that would help keep her body moving and warm, she takes one pack at a time and slowly removes the contents.

It wasn't the best plan, but Jenny wasn't so foolish to think she could carry Gibbs down this mountain. Going downhill would be easier, but it would still be back breaking work to lug his weight through the forests and over the rough terrain. She needed to devise some means of transport that would minimize the trauma to his already wounded body. She assembles the two long sniper rifles by feel, knowing their mechanisms by heart. They were almost four feet long and can be useful in making a travois of sorts. The American Indians used to make them from lodge poles and an animal hide stretched between to lay a sick or injured person on. Then they would drag it behind their pony. Now she just needed to figure out what to use in place of an animal hide... which she didn't happen to have.

Then it hit her. Their snow shoes. That would be four long webbed plates she could attach between the two rifles to form a platform for her to lay his body on. The only problem was... they were a mile north at their sniper nest. She sets her preparations aside and sits thinking about the possibility of sneaking back to the boulders to retrieve them. It was that dead of night quiet and she hoped their pursuers had returned to the comfort of their compound for the night and wouldn't resume the search until morning. She couldn't be sure of that... or of the fact that the snow shoes hadn't been discovered and removed by now. She was more certain that if the searchers followed her false trail back towards the ski slopes, they had found their skis hidden behind the tree there.

Taking a few moments to check on Gibbs, zipping his coat up under his chin to keep him as warm as possible, Jenny drops a gentle kiss on his cheek and then ducks out of the cave before her courage deserts her. She hesitates under the cover of the fallen branches and listens carefully for movement; then as quietly as she can she lifts them out of her way and moves out into the open. She stays crouched down until her eyes adjust to the marginally lighter world around her where the foot of fresh snow glows in the moonlight. It is just enough light to allow her to travel at a pretty good pace without tripping or falling along the way.

She takes off slowly at first, scanning the surrounding trees for movement that would indicate her pursuers were still there. When she has made it across the small meadow and back on the path she is used to traveling, she breaks into a run. Speed was of the essence and she needed to retrieve the snow shoes and get back to the cave before as soon as possible. Adrenaline pumping through her veins makes her legs fly over the terrain like the gazelle Gibbs called her. It takes only ten minutes to retrace her steps and she comes to a sudden stop at the clearing where the boulders are located. She crouches down, forcing her breathing to slow and covers her mouth so she doesn't give herself away with the rapid puffs of steam her breath causes. She scans the fresh snow. There are no footsteps around the boulders, but if the searches had been here, they were long covered by the new snow.

She glances up to see the white trail of smoke rising from the compound's chimney and says another silent prayer that all the terrorists are tucked safely in their beds right now. She makes her way down to the trees to the rocky ledge and then ducks low and runs across to the boulders where they stashed the snow shoes. Thrusting her hands down into the cold snow, she digs quickly until her numb fingers encounter a smooth rounded surface. A whispered 'thank you' escapes her lips as she grabs the four metal mesh shoes and tucks them under her coat before turning to scurry back into the trees. Once there, she wastes no time and sprints back up the hill to the trail. Cutting back across the path she runs as if the hounds of hell are on her heals, not slowing to look or listen as she desperately tries to make it back to the cave.

Panting hard, Jenny drops to her knees and ducks under the fallen branches of their hideout. She has no intention of being here when the sun makes its way over the mountain tops to illuminate this slope. Not taking time to cover her tracks this time saved precious time. She needs ever minute to construct her travois and get them out of here before the searchers return at first light. Inside the cave she dares to use the flashlight sparingly to aid in the construction of her litter. Gibbs is still lying motionless, but breathing on his own and she takes only a brief moment to check his pulse and glance at his watch before she continues on with her work.

By five-thirty, Jenny has rigged up a sturdy travois she can use by looping her arms through the canvas slings on both rifles. The stocks would be at her back while the barrel tips of each rifle would drag along the ground at Gibbs' feet. She doesn't waste time thinking about Gibbs' anger when he finds out she's destroyed to very expensive guns in this fashion. She just hopes he makes it through this so he can express his anger.

She notices the shattered stock on Gibbs' gun and realizes it must have been damaged when he was shot. She doesn't have time to think about what that means in terms of additional injuries to her partner and hurries to pack up the remaining gear in their packs. She rolls Gibbs onto the snow shoes and then tests his weight on them, happy to see they remain securely fastened to the rifles on both sides with the rope she removed from around his chest.

With Gibbs on the litter, she hooks the packs on either side of him, tying the straps down to help secure him in place. The terrain was going to be rough and she didn't want to lose him on the steep, rocky slopes. She crawls outside, dragging him along behind her until she has him out in the open and can stand up. She takes a moment to scan the night around her, making certain no one has followed her back here. When all she is met with is silence, she crouches in front of the travois, looping the rifle slings up over each shoulder. She then takes a deep breath and jerks herself upright, thanking God for her runner's legs which were muscled and strong.

She takes a moment to adjust to the weight and groans softly as the straps cut into her skin. The shattered rifle stock pokes her in the back, but then she takes a couple of steps and realizes the weight is easier to manage while she is moving. She keeps her Sig tucked into the front pocket of her jacket in case of trouble, but holds onto the straps as she leans into them and begins dragging her precious cargo through the trees in the direction of the ski slopes. Not for the first time, Jenny says a silent prayer of thanks for the fresh snow cover which makes pulling him down the slopes easier.

Even with the ease of the snow to help the travois glide over the ground, the heavy metal of the rifle barrels still dig into the earth, gouging a path and pulling against her at every step. She estimates she has gone a mile when she has to stop, exhausted and gasping for air. She staggers and almost falls before dropping to her knees at the base of a large pine tree. She leans against it weakly, letting the canvas straps fall from her shoulders. The straps have cut into her tender skin to the point she has no feeling in either shoulder or her neck, and her hands are tingling. She doesn't even feel the blood oozing into her shirt on her back from the constant gouging of the rough wooden stock. She is completely played out and can barely raise her head in search of a new place to hide. She cannot go on.

Suddenly her harsh breathing stops as she hears the crunch of branches underfoot. She sinks lower to the ground and listens in terrified suspense as she hears someone coming through the brush ahead of her. She has not bothered to cover their tracks this time, too desperate to get Gibbs down the mountain to safety, but she never expected them to be ahead of her! She stays as motionless as possible while her numb fingers fumble to pull the gun from her pocket. She wonders if she will even be able to pull the trigger in her current condition, but raises the gun in the direction of the noises anyway.

She realizes Gibbs is lying out in the open on the metal frame and she has no way to hide him without giving away their position. Instead, she quickly skirts around behind the pine tree and moves off to a position higher up the slope where she can remain concealed and ambush them as they come upon Gibbs' lifeless body. She finds a hollow under some low hanging branches and sinks down to stalk their pursuers and try to kill them before they kill Gibbs. She just prays Gibbs won't suddenly make a noise at the wrong time and get them both killed.

The footsteps are coming closer and now she makes out the hooded use of a flashlight as men whisper to each other. She takes aim at the closest light and is about to shoot when she recognizes the British agent's voice. She holds back, leery of trusting anyone... but what choice does she have at this point? She lets them get near Gibbs' with their light flashing onto the metal frame, giving away his position. They stop and examine the area, noting her footsteps in the snow leading up the hill above them. All three men remain perfectly still, realizing for the first time they are not alone anymore.

They slowly raise their hands and look around the area, trying to spot her hiding above them. Martin James raises his voice cautiously and calls out to her, "Agent Shepard... we're here to help. Please don't shoot us before we can get you off this mountain."

He knows her real name and much more about their mission than they first considered. It doesn't surprise her really... since he is MI6, but his insistence on maintaining his cover earlier makes her hold her position in case it is a trap. He turns slowly in a circle, showing her that he is not armed and she finally speaks up, "Throw down your weapons. If you're here to help you won't be needing them."

"We can't do that, love. There will still be search teams out here looking for you two at first light... and that won't be long. From the looks of your partner, we need to move fast to get you both to safety before they discover your obvious trail through the snow and come after us."

Jenny wrestles with her fear and realizes she has no choice but to trust them. She finally stands up, but doesn't lower her gun as she approaches them. Martin smiles reassuringly and slowly lowers his hands, as do his two partners. He introduces them quickly, "Reggie Spannold and Tom Crampton... boys, Agent Jenny Shepard."

They nod in response, but are nervously looking around as the first rays of the sun peak over the mountain on the opposite side of the valley. "We need move fast boss, it's getting light."

He nods and the two men grab the travois and begin to drag Gibbs while Jenny hurries to follow behind. She still doesn't trust them, but she is too exhausted and cold to argue with them about it now. They cut a more drastic track down the mountain, holding onto the metal frame as they slip and slide their way along the steep path. Jenny isn't sure where they are going, but as long as it is down off this mountain, she doesn't really care how they get there. Martin stays back with her, helping her along when she loses her footing or stumbles in her exhausted state.

It seems like no time at all and they suddenly come off the slope into a flat, wide open area where two dark SUV's are parked. At first panic fills her as she glimpses them and believes they are the terrorist's Hummers. Then they get closer and she realizes they are in fact Range Rovers and she relaxes. Jenny hovers nearby as they quickly remove Gibbs from the travois and load him into the back of one vehicle. He groans, giving the first sign of life since she put him in the cave and it almost causes her to break down in tears at the sound. She was so afraid she would get to the bottom and turn around to find out she had been dragging his dead body down the mountain.

"Careful! He's got a gunshot in the back, came out above right side chest."

They understand her concern, but there is a time for tender care and there is a time for scooping him up and getting out of here. Now was not the time to be tender. Martin grabs the makeshift travois and throws it into the back of his vehicle as Jenny climbs in next to Gibbs. They all hop into the front and as they take off south towards the town of Soldeu, Jenny finally remembers their car.

"Wait! Our car!"

"We got it out of here earlier when we realized something had gone wrong. It's safe for now... but frankly, I'm more worried about getting you and your partner to the safe house before they come after us."

Exhausted, weak and worried Jenny finally concedes control of this mission to these three men who seem to have everything under control. She sags back against the wall and turns her attention to the man lying next to her. The man she has loved for months, but only recently admitted it to herself. The man she is still very worried might not live long enough to make it to the safe house.

* * *

Jenny doesn't remember much about the frantic drive to the MI6 safe house. She was dazed and numb from her ordeal and only able to focus on the limp body lying beside her. Once there, they are hustled inside just as the sun is beginning to touch the valley town of Soldeu. Gibbs is carried into a bedroom where he is stripped to his boxers in a fast and efficient way; if not the gentlest. She stands by watching as he is quickly assessed by a new man who was there when they arrived. This man is older, graying and had a gentler demeanor about him.

She correctly guesses this to be the town doctor as he sits on the edge of the bed to examine her partner. He wipes away most of the blood, then sticks his finger into the hole, causing another groan from Gibbs. The doctor looks up from wiping his finger on a towel and orders the men standing by to help him once more.

"Roll him on side, please. I need to look at back." His English is heavily accented and it is clear this is not his primary language.

Tom and Reggie grab Gibbs before Jenny can step forward to help and she is once again left to watch helplessly. The doctor quickly begins wiping away the clotted blood once more and this time his brow furrows with worry. He leans in closer and uses his fingertips to grab at the sharp object sticking out of his back. Jenny gasps when he removes a three inch long sliver of wood and tosses it into a tray of water on the nightstand. The doctor continues his examination, finding several entry points on his back which were not caused by the bullet.

He finally sighs and cleans each wound before he applies a large bandage to his back to control the bleeding. He knows there is only so much he can do for this man here. "He was shot in back, yes?"

"Yes, through his backpack. That... the wood splinter... must be from his rifle stock. It was in his pack and shattered by the bullet." Jenny is glad to finally be able to contribute something useful.

"Yes, but this is bad." He gestures for the men to roll him back onto his back once more. "The wood... it is deep in his back. This will cause infection, more damage inside." He wipes his hands after applying the bandage to the single wound on Gibbs' chest and stands up to face his audience. "This man need hospital... I can do nothing more."

"Not possible Doctor Dominguez. We cannot move him yet. It's too dangerous."

"He needs to be in a hospital, Mr. James... so that's where we're going!" Jenny's anger flares as a result of her hopelessness at not realizing the seriousness of his injuries.

She glares at her MI6 counterparts and suddenly the room begins to spin around her. Everything is fading to black and the last thing Jenny remembers is several hands reaching out to grab her as her knees finally gave out. Martin and Tom had been closest to her and grab her as she passes out from the strain and stress of the last twenty-four hours. Martin swings her up into his arms and turns to deposit her onto the other small bed in this room.

They are hesitant to strip her down as they had her partner, mainly because she didn't appear to be wounded, but also because she was a woman. Dr. Dominguez puts an end to their dilemma as he approaches with a sigh and snaps his fingers impatiently, "Vomanos! Vomanos!"

They reluctantly begin removing her outer ski suit and quickly discover blood on her shoulders and back. The doctor's examination reveals minor lacerations she received from the weight of the straps cutting into her shoulders. The one on her back had feathers in it and they realize the shattered gun stock must have been poking her back the whole time she was dragging Gibbs on the makeshift travois.

The three tough MI6 operatives stand by watching the doctor administer his first aid to her wounds as well. When he is done, he stands to face his clients, men he has helped on several occasions, but this time he is not happy with their decision.

"He need hospital, Mr. James." He points to Gibbs again.

"I know, Dr. Dominguez, but we can't fly him out of here for at least two days when the runway is cleared of snow. It's too dangerous to drive him out with those Catalonians on the lookout for an injured man."

"Yes, yes... I see. But two days... no more. She need rest too." The doctor collects up his bloodstained towels and carries them out with the bowl of tainted water.

When the three men are alone in the room, they look from Gibbs' bed back to Jenny's and realize the gravity of their situation.

"Tough lady. That rigged up sling with his weight on it must have weighed at least two hundred pounds." Tom slowly shakes his head as he realizes the heroics this woman went through to save her partner's life.

"And she drug him what... almost two miles?" Martin adds his assessment, "Over that rough mountain. She's got some really moxy, this one does."

"Doubt he's gonna be too happy that she destroyed two really expensive sniper rifles to get it done though."

"Let's just hope he pulls through so he can find out. Come on, Chaps, let's let these two rest a bit. I have to put a call in to Agent Stoddard at the Paris NCIS office and let him know we recovered his agents and they're alive... barely.


End file.
